It’s lucky for Peterborough when the year ends in four: formed in 1934, they won the Fourth Division in 1974, this trophy in 2014 and 10 years later – and in the most (eventually) dramatic of circumstances – they returned to Wembley and did it again. There certainly seemed to be some kind of magic at work as Harrison Burrows’ cross dipped into the net in stoppage time, the captain’s wand of a left foot casting its spell for the second time in six wild, decisive minutes.
That Darren Ferguson – with his father Sir Alex in attendance, as he had been a decade ago – got to win this trophy with this club for the second time in his fourth spell as manager is in large part down to Burrows, who scored two of his side’s three goals against Blackpool in the semi-finals and one of their two against Crawley in the round of 16.
The side’s left-back, set-piece menace and boyhood fan is more often a creator – he has 14 assists to his name this season – but he added two more goals here, rifling in a low shot from the edge of the area in the 85th minute and, after Wycombe had fashioned an extraordinary equaliser just four minutes later, sending in a cross in stoppage time that curled just beyond the frantic, clawing grasp of Franco Ravizzoli.
Wycombe responded to the first goal by bringing on Sam Vokes and Dale Taylor and the latter equalised with perhaps his first touch, a fabulous left-foot volley from 25 yards after a free-kick from the halfway line flicked off a defender’s head, as an often scrappy but always entertaining game suddenly flowed with goals in the final minutes.
“What a day. What a feeling,” Ferguson Jr said. “For this young squad to find a way after conceding that late equaliser was a credit to them. It was mayhem so I had to calm them down a bit and say: ‘Just keep the ball, don’t give it away.’ And we managed to get a bit of luck. Whether it’s a cross or a shot it doesn’t matter – what a story for that kid. I thought we were the better team in the second half but we just couldn’t find a goal until H got it, and then it was a hell of a finish to the game.”
Posh certainly did not dominate the first 20 minutes, for most of which the ball was in their defensive third – albeit mainly with themselves in possession, trying in vain to find a way out of their opponents’ press before giving up and hitting a long pass forward. Wycombe started with Richard Kone in attack, just his fourth start since he officially signed from Athletic Newham of the Essex Senior League in January.
The road to Wembley has been particularly troubled for the Ivorian who, having been thrown out of his family home after coming out as gay, played for his country in the 2019 Homeless World Cup, and he was excellent in the first half before tiring in the second. But his team’s two best chances of the opening period fell to Garath McCleary, who volleyed high from a 25th-minute long throw, and saw another volley saved from Freddie Potts’ excellent pass.
When Posh ventured forwards there always seemed to be a defender – often Chris Forino – on hand to fling himself in the way of their shots. The one time they got beyond the backline, from Kwame Poku’s pass in first-half stoppage time, Joel Randall tried to nudge the ball around Ravizzoli only for the keeper to fling out a glove and push it behind.
Both sides struggled to create such clear chances for much of the second half, with what goalmouth action there was largely the result of scuffs, errors and interceptions. Wycombe had a goal disallowed for a foul – or possibly two – on Jed Steer, the Peterborough goalkeeper, and their best opening came when Steer sidefooted a pass straight to Kieran Sadlier, just inside the area, who shot over the bar. Meanwhile Poku ran on to a loose ball, sprinted 30 yards and shot over the bar, and an attempted clearance hit Ricky-Jade Jones, who sent in a shot that deflected into Ravizzoli’s hands. Then with five minutes to play Burrows exchanged passes with Ephron Mason-Clarke, lined up a shot, and the game was transformed.
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“I’m disappointed, but proud with the way the team played,” said Matt Bloomfield, the Wycombe manager. “I’m proud of the spectacle we put on, and disappointed for the players and spectators because I felt we deserved something out of the game. But when a goal like that goes in against you, for it to be the winner, sometimes it’s not meant to be.”
