30-03-2018, 21:39
Sheffield Wednesday 4 Nuhiu 2 Joao Forestieri Preston North End 1 Moult
Wednesday: Wildsmith, Venancio, Lees, Pudil, Hunt (Palmer 74), Pelupessy, Hutchinson (Joao 46), Bannan (Forestieri 77), Fox, Reach, Nuhiu. Subs (not used): Jones, Rhodes, Butterfield, Dawson.
PNE: Rudd, Fisher (Harrop 77) Huntington, Davies, Earl, Pearson, Gallagher (Johnson 70), Barkhuizen, Browne, Robinson, Maguire (Moult 70). Subs (not used): Cunningham, Clarke, Bodin, Maxwell.
Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex) Attendance: 26,588
A truly odd scoreline this one although to be fair to the home side they took their chances and we didn't mind you they were helped by our inability to actually start playing until 10 minutes into the second half by which time the Owls had potted two and left us with a mountain to climb.
After the joys of the Woodhead pass due to inabilities of people to drive straight on the M62 arrived at the ground in surprisingly decent time to see a first half which we more than dominated although in truth didn't create a lot from open play, two headers by centre backs Huntington and Davies should have been better directed but Davies's chance on half time should have gone in. Wednesday probably got into the better areas with the ball but Rudd didn't have to make a save.
Mr Robinson set his stall out to annoy the home side by booking Hutchinson in 15 seconds and also booked Nuhiu, however it was the officials ability not to show the giant striker a second yellow for a foul mid way through the half which came home to roost in the second half.
The big man up front caused us problems in the air winning most of the headers for absolutely no one to run onto.But all in all we were more than comfortable..
We were late back onto the pitch in the second half physically and mentally, as Wednesday went two up in the space of seven minutes. Awful defending for both of them. The home side got in easily down the right hand side, following a scramble Nuhiu potted the first, then a Bannan cross from the left found the head of substitute Joao in acres of space his header over Rudd looped into the empty goal.
Looking like strangers we were hanging on for grim death and then as the temperature dropped and the rain lashed down we woke up.
Maguire should have scored from about four yards but his shot dribbled towards the net in slow motion, Lees slid into clear. From the resulting corner Marguire and Barkhuizen both had efforts they should have scored with. Then back in the game when the two substitutes Johnson and Moult combined for the latter to score his first goal for the club, could have been two a minute or so later when he just couldn't get on the end of a Barkhuizen cross. Then the weather started to affect the home players who seemed to be affected by frost bite and what with the resulting treatment our flow of play disappeared and never looked like getting back into the game.Into injury time Nuhiu scored a decent second curling one home from about 15 yards, when they were awarded a free kick in the edge of the box even we knew it would go in.
As I said odd scoreline didn't reflect the game but life's a bitch, move onto Derby on Monday (losing 1-2 at the moment)
Finally a word about Mr Robinson probably managed to annoy everyone in the ground today and that takes some doing.
https://youtu.be/wQJgAbVBC7c
Alex Neil Left To Rue Missed Opportunities
3 Hours ago
Neil Left To Rue Missed Opportunities
Alex Neil was frustrated that North End couldn’t convert their opportunities, particularly in the first half this afternoon, and felt his side were ‘architects of their own downfall’.
Alex Neil’s side went in at the break as the dominant side and could have been ahead through Ben Davies - who had the chance to head PNE ahead on the stroke of half-time only for his header to be well stopped by the Owls’ goalkeeper.
Goals from Adthe Nuhiu and Lucas Joao sent the hosts ahead early on in the second half, and despite Louis Moult’s first goal for the club, Wednesday managed two goals in added time which ultimately gave the hosts a flattering scoreline - and speaking after the game, Neil was disappointed that they didn’t make their dominance count when they were on top in the game.
the Scotsman said: “It’s one of them strange games where first half, they couldn’t get out of their half and we had some good opportunities where if we’d had put a cross in or got the ball away quicker we might have been ahead, but we were dominant in the game and really good in the first half.
“At half-time they made a change and too be honest, we just didn’t deal with it well enough for the first 15 minutes. However, the first goal comes from a mistake; they come down the side and we go down far too easily and the ball comes in and it ends up in the back of the net.
“We’re then pushing to try and get a goal back and I think it’s Barry Bannan who picks a good pass for Lucas Joao to run in behind and loops a header into the far corner, and I think to myself, how did we get to this point?
We were the dominant side. We make a couple of alterations and even before we get a goal and make the changes we miss three golden opportunities. We then get the goal and then have several more chances to score and as we know, goals change games and then towards the death, we throw caution to the wind and get men forward and we get hurt and concede two.
“The one we concede from a corner is defensively the worst goal I’ve seen us concede since I’ve been here but If we go one or two goals up, it changes the game. The fact is we’ve conceded four goals which is unacceptable for us and we’re going to have to be a lot better defensively.
Neil’s men have little time to dwell on the misfortune of today’s result with a huge game against Derby County to look forward to on Monday in front of the cameras, and the gaffer believes today’s result makes the magnitude of Monday’s game even bigger in their quest for a top six slot.
He continued: “If you’re ever going to achieve something - sometimes you need to feel a bit of pain - and then it’s how you react and respond to that.
"We’ll analyse it tomorrow, and if we’ve got any ambitions to get in the top six then defensively and individually, we can’t make as many bad decisions as we made today.
"We’re at that stage of the season where we can’t afford to have many more slip ups. I don’t think we played badly today and we applied ourselves well, the lads were up for the game, we had good opportunities but we didn’t deal with the two big lads well in the second half.
“We’ve got a game on Monday and we can’t dwell on this now. It becomes massive for us now and if we’re going to get into the Play-Offs, these are the games we have to try and win.”
Sheffield Wednesday manager Jos Luhukay:
"Fantastic, I'm very happy for the team, players and fans. What a game for everybody.
"We made two goals early in the half, it was a happy situation, it was fantastic to win like that today.
"The players work so hard, did extensive work for this game and they deserve the rewards."
Wednesday: Wildsmith, Venancio, Lees, Pudil, Hunt (Palmer 74), Pelupessy, Hutchinson (Joao 46), Bannan (Forestieri 77), Fox, Reach, Nuhiu. Subs (not used): Jones, Rhodes, Butterfield, Dawson.
PNE: Rudd, Fisher (Harrop 77) Huntington, Davies, Earl, Pearson, Gallagher (Johnson 70), Barkhuizen, Browne, Robinson, Maguire (Moult 70). Subs (not used): Cunningham, Clarke, Bodin, Maxwell.
Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex) Attendance: 26,588
A truly odd scoreline this one although to be fair to the home side they took their chances and we didn't mind you they were helped by our inability to actually start playing until 10 minutes into the second half by which time the Owls had potted two and left us with a mountain to climb.
After the joys of the Woodhead pass due to inabilities of people to drive straight on the M62 arrived at the ground in surprisingly decent time to see a first half which we more than dominated although in truth didn't create a lot from open play, two headers by centre backs Huntington and Davies should have been better directed but Davies's chance on half time should have gone in. Wednesday probably got into the better areas with the ball but Rudd didn't have to make a save.
Mr Robinson set his stall out to annoy the home side by booking Hutchinson in 15 seconds and also booked Nuhiu, however it was the officials ability not to show the giant striker a second yellow for a foul mid way through the half which came home to roost in the second half.
The big man up front caused us problems in the air winning most of the headers for absolutely no one to run onto.But all in all we were more than comfortable..
We were late back onto the pitch in the second half physically and mentally, as Wednesday went two up in the space of seven minutes. Awful defending for both of them. The home side got in easily down the right hand side, following a scramble Nuhiu potted the first, then a Bannan cross from the left found the head of substitute Joao in acres of space his header over Rudd looped into the empty goal.
Looking like strangers we were hanging on for grim death and then as the temperature dropped and the rain lashed down we woke up.
Maguire should have scored from about four yards but his shot dribbled towards the net in slow motion, Lees slid into clear. From the resulting corner Marguire and Barkhuizen both had efforts they should have scored with. Then back in the game when the two substitutes Johnson and Moult combined for the latter to score his first goal for the club, could have been two a minute or so later when he just couldn't get on the end of a Barkhuizen cross. Then the weather started to affect the home players who seemed to be affected by frost bite and what with the resulting treatment our flow of play disappeared and never looked like getting back into the game.Into injury time Nuhiu scored a decent second curling one home from about 15 yards, when they were awarded a free kick in the edge of the box even we knew it would go in.
As I said odd scoreline didn't reflect the game but life's a bitch, move onto Derby on Monday (losing 1-2 at the moment)
Finally a word about Mr Robinson probably managed to annoy everyone in the ground today and that takes some doing.
https://youtu.be/wQJgAbVBC7c
Alex Neil Left To Rue Missed Opportunities
3 Hours ago
Neil Left To Rue Missed Opportunities
Alex Neil was frustrated that North End couldn’t convert their opportunities, particularly in the first half this afternoon, and felt his side were ‘architects of their own downfall’.
Alex Neil’s side went in at the break as the dominant side and could have been ahead through Ben Davies - who had the chance to head PNE ahead on the stroke of half-time only for his header to be well stopped by the Owls’ goalkeeper.
Goals from Adthe Nuhiu and Lucas Joao sent the hosts ahead early on in the second half, and despite Louis Moult’s first goal for the club, Wednesday managed two goals in added time which ultimately gave the hosts a flattering scoreline - and speaking after the game, Neil was disappointed that they didn’t make their dominance count when they were on top in the game.
the Scotsman said: “It’s one of them strange games where first half, they couldn’t get out of their half and we had some good opportunities where if we’d had put a cross in or got the ball away quicker we might have been ahead, but we were dominant in the game and really good in the first half.
“At half-time they made a change and too be honest, we just didn’t deal with it well enough for the first 15 minutes. However, the first goal comes from a mistake; they come down the side and we go down far too easily and the ball comes in and it ends up in the back of the net.
“We’re then pushing to try and get a goal back and I think it’s Barry Bannan who picks a good pass for Lucas Joao to run in behind and loops a header into the far corner, and I think to myself, how did we get to this point?
We were the dominant side. We make a couple of alterations and even before we get a goal and make the changes we miss three golden opportunities. We then get the goal and then have several more chances to score and as we know, goals change games and then towards the death, we throw caution to the wind and get men forward and we get hurt and concede two.
“The one we concede from a corner is defensively the worst goal I’ve seen us concede since I’ve been here but If we go one or two goals up, it changes the game. The fact is we’ve conceded four goals which is unacceptable for us and we’re going to have to be a lot better defensively.
Neil’s men have little time to dwell on the misfortune of today’s result with a huge game against Derby County to look forward to on Monday in front of the cameras, and the gaffer believes today’s result makes the magnitude of Monday’s game even bigger in their quest for a top six slot.
He continued: “If you’re ever going to achieve something - sometimes you need to feel a bit of pain - and then it’s how you react and respond to that.
"We’ll analyse it tomorrow, and if we’ve got any ambitions to get in the top six then defensively and individually, we can’t make as many bad decisions as we made today.
"We’re at that stage of the season where we can’t afford to have many more slip ups. I don’t think we played badly today and we applied ourselves well, the lads were up for the game, we had good opportunities but we didn’t deal with the two big lads well in the second half.
“We’ve got a game on Monday and we can’t dwell on this now. It becomes massive for us now and if we’re going to get into the Play-Offs, these are the games we have to try and win.”
Sheffield Wednesday manager Jos Luhukay:
"Fantastic, I'm very happy for the team, players and fans. What a game for everybody.
"We made two goals early in the half, it was a happy situation, it was fantastic to win like that today.
"The players work so hard, did extensive work for this game and they deserve the rewards."
Why should a man go to work, if he has the health and strength to stay in bed?