[Statesideowl]

Watching the Chelski game. Southampton making a great come back 2-1

Is it over for the great one?

[Owlkev71]

Made hard work of it..................AGAIN!

Only a few chances in a fairly quiet first half until injury time, a couple of headers over the bar. Then with a ball up front which was allowed to bounce by the Preston defence and we gained control, the ball was played forward to Forestieri whose clever flick was ran onto by Lee who slotted past the keeper. HT 1-0

We started the 2nd half much brighter, Lees heading just wide from a corner. Bannan had a long range effort saved by Pickford and FF rebound was blocked for a corner. The pressure brought fruition when we went 2 up. Lee gathered the ball on the left threaded a ball thru to Pudil whose cross was blocked, Preston tried to clear but hit Pudil who controlled the ball before toe-poking past the keeper. Preston changed there forward line with the ineffective Keane & May both being replaced by Doyle & Hugill. This seemed to bring Preston to life with 2 quick headers, the 2nd a pretty poor miss by Doyle, I think. North End then pulled one back. A corner was headed down, where Browne turned and finished. Preston continued to attack against a now nervy backline, Welsh brought a good save from Westwood and then another long range effort flew just over the bar. A free kick by McGugan hit the sidenetting for us and then substitute Lopez was denied by Pickford. Into 5 minutes of injury time as Preston pressed for the leveller, a clearance fell to McGugan about 40 yards who controlled and chipped over the retreating Pickford who had been up for a corner, cue relief around 3 sides of the ground. FT 3-1.

Westwood 7 - One good save, wasn't overly troubled, no chance for their goal.

Hunt 6 - OK going forward, needs to work on his defensive qualities
Pudil 7 - Best LB since we've had Worthington & King, got on the scoresheet too.
Lees 5 - Easy for 60 minutes, then hassled by sub strikers
Turner 5 - See above

Hutchinson 6 - Steady but still rash in the challenge
Lee 7 - Quieter than of late but got on the scoresheet again.

Wallace 6 - Quietest game I have seen from him
Forestieri 7 - Our season may depend on him, lovely flick for Lee to score.
Bannan 7 - Live wire, never seems to stop running, incredible energy

Nuhiu 6 - Quiet game, got no help from the ref as usual.

Joao 5 - Not involved enough
McGugan 6 - Quiet when came on, then sealed game with 40 yard chip
Lopez 5 - Not on long had one shot saved.

Another welcome 3 points, but yet again should have been more comfortable a tofter going 2-0 up and been in control of the match at that point. Preston were far more effective with there sub strikers on and caused real problems for Lee & Turner. We subbed Forestieri and seemed to lose the forward momentum we had with him on the pitch. After 60 mins the result seemed nailed on, Preston had never looked like scoring, I think all there attempts came in the last 30 mins.

We need to learn to kill teams off and not have the heebie jeebies for the last 20 mins in games. I think we just about deserved to win.

Cant wait for Themaclad view on the game.

[St Charles Owl]

Watching the Chelski game. Southampton making a great come back 2-1

Is it over for the great one?

Soton now lead 3-1 and fully deserve their lead!!  Chelsea look pedestrian across the team, the special one could be on his way!!!

[Statesideowl]

That's fair SCO.

Chelsea got away with 2 pen decisions in the first half, they haven't looked anything more than a shadow of themselves

Southampton are playng some nice stuff, restricting Chelski well

[consilio]

We controlled 70 mins of the game and deserved to win, which we did.

Preston were dire apart from a 20 min spell when they got their goal and it was more of us panicking than them being any good. Our decision to sell May looked a good one, he was awful. Some trouble in the away end when it looked as though some disgruntled Preston fans started to attack the stewards. Not sure what that was all about?

Westwood 7

Hunt 6
Lees 6
Turner 6
Pudil 8

Hutchinson 6
Lee 7

Wallace 5
FF 6
Bannan 8

Nuhiu 6

McGugan 7
Lopez 6
Joao 6

---

Some talk on Twitter that Pudil's goal may have been touched over the line by Nuhiu? Didn't see it myself from where I was sat so will be interesting to see later on the box.

[OvalOwl]

We controlled 70 mins of the game and deserved to win, which we did.  

Preston were dire apart from a 20 min spell when they got their goal and it was more of us panicking than them being any good.  Our decision to sell May looked a good one, he was awful.  Some trouble in the away end when it looked as though some disgruntled Preston fans started to attack the stewards.  Not sure what that was all about?

We seem to lack the ability to see a game out. 2-0 up and cruising and then they get one back and all hell seems to break loose as we go deep and invite them on.

The headline on the Beeb site is this:

Sheffield Wednesday moved to within three points of the play-off places with a comfortable win over Preston.

I wouldn't have called it comfortable! We had 20 minutes of squeaky bum time!


Bannan and Pudil were the standout players for me. Just where does BB get his energy from? He never stopped running all game. FF just back from injury and obviously lacking in fitness which will come with match time. AN sufferes from big man syndrome, whenever he goes down the ref assumes he is faking and gives the foul against him. Hutch managed to avoid a yellow this week but could have got one if he had connected with a wild lunge somewhere near the edge of their box!

Nice to see some money has been spent on the concourses of the North Stand and that the signage now matches up with the e-tickets.

[themaclad]

Match report now on, first half though we were comfortable not help by McCarthy going off injured, poor defending for the first and even worse defending for the second, had enough chances to have taken a point but did not put them in. Having read through the thread it's funny how we see games differently. Thought you were a bit iffy in the air at the back as well. Don't see you as play off contenders but you can purchase a couple in January you may stand a chance.
Fun getting back to the coach after the game some of your fans seem to have Carpel Tunnel syndrome, think about that one.

[OvalOwl]

We noticed a bit of handbags between our stewards and your lot on the left hand side of the away end nearest the North Stand. What was all that about? Also saw some of South Yorkshire's finest interacting in a strong verbal manner to some of your fans between two coaches after the game, other than that in best Arsene, "I did not see it."

[themaclad]

Too busy watching the game myself, mainly handbags and verbals

[madsteve]

Come May when we celebrate promotion (or not), this game will probably have faded from the memory but it is three points that keeps us in contention for a Playoff spot against a pretty poor side that will do well to avoid the drop.

CC picked the expected team. In fact for probably the first time ever, I predicted the starting eleven and the seven substitutes. It shows how far we have come when you look at the strength of that bench and that players like Palmer, Semedo & Sougou couldn't even make the squad.

We looked comfortable first half with Preston creating nothing. Lee should have scored after a clever flick by Nuhiu but he lost control with just the keeper to beat. Lees headed over after a good cross by Hutchinson. Otherwise, we lacked the spark of recent matches as it appeared that we thought it would be an easy three points.

We scored in first half stoppage time when Forestieri's beautiful flick put Lee clear and from the same spot where he fluffed earlier, he stroked the ball home sweetly. Strangely, it had been Lee's worst 45 minutes of the season as he failed to match his usual high standards but the goal seemed to spark him and several team mates into action.

We started the second half on fire with Bannan & Forestieri both brilliantly denied by great stops and Lees heading just wide from the subsequent corner. It was inevitable that we would score soon as we we swamping their defence but when it came, it came from a surprise source. Pudil had burst through on the left but his cross was blocked. However Preston's defenders panicked & a clearance hit the prostrate Pudil, who reacted quickly, got back on his feet and slid the ball in from an acute angle.

As the ball was crossing the line, Nuhiu ran in and touched it to try & steal the goal, running away claiming it was his. I really hate this - players trying to steal a team mates goal. Fortunately, it was already over the line and Nuhiu wasn't offside to cause the goal to be ruled out.

From that moment, the game changed. Nuhiu & Forestieri became ineffective up front and we couldn't hold the ball. Doyle & Hugill (who had replaced Keane & May) started causing our back four problems. Hunt lost his bearings and twice allowed pinpoint crosses which should have been converted but both headers from six yards flashed wide.

Nuhiu & the invisible Wallace were rightly replaced by Joao & McGugan but as at Brentford last week, the rot had already set in and Preston soon scored in a goalmouth scramble, following a corner.

After that, it was end to end stuff with Preston having the majority of possession but with Wednesday looking more dangerous on the break with Joao, Bannan & Lee prominent. Westwood was only really forced into one save, which he comfortably palmed away to his right and Preston had one other decent shot which went over from about 20 yards.

Lopez replaced the tiring Forestieri, which gave us slightly better control in CM. Lopez created one good chance and had a good effort blocked. I never thought that Preston would equalise and as they pushed more players forward, they became more exposed at the back. Bannan led a break out of three against two and with Joao unmarked in the box, chose to run the ball into the corner instead.

In the third minute of stoppage time, the Preston keeper came up for a corner & when it was cleared, we had a clear chance to score. Firstly Lopez from 50 yards but he chose not to go for it then McGugan from close to 40 yards, who swivelled and lifted the ball over the keeper, who just couldn't make it back from the other end in time, and into the net to seal the victory.

McGugan had been pretty much a peripheral figure until that moment as he struggled to control a game which we had already let slip before he entered the fray. In fact, CM had almost disappeared for both sides, which made for an exciting end to end final quarter.

Westwood - 6
Hunt - 6
Lees - 6
Turner - 6
Pudil - 7
Hutchinson - 7
Lee - 6
Wallace - 5
Forestieri - 6
Bannan - 8
Nuhiu - 6
..............................................
Joao - 6
McGugan - 6
Lopez - 6

CC appears to have settled on his first choice eleven now and it seems to be about right for now. The "Lucky One" went yesterday for her first match of the season (so a win was inevitable) and she said, "Why does Nuhiu stand offside all the time and then foul their defenders?" Hard to answer that one but he shows little subtlety in his challenges which makes it easy for referees to give fouls against him. It happens every week so it cannot be the referees fault.

I also think that CC is doing as I suggested over a month ago, to use Nuhiu from the start with a view to bringing on Joao after an hour as the opposition defenders tire. He has experimented with trying them together but it doesn't work.

Stat Attack:

Goals:

Lee 1
Pudil 1
McGugan 1

Assists:

Forestieri 1
Lopez 1

Tackles:

Bannan 6
Lee 4
Hunt 3
Hutchinson 3
Forestieri 2
Lees 1
Turner 1
McGugan 1

Interceptions:

Hutchinson 5
Lees 4
Wallace 3
Pudil 2
Turner 1
Lee 1
Forestieri 1

Clearances:

Lees 10
Turner 7
Pudil 4
Hunt 3
Joao 3

Attempts:

Lees 3
Pudil 2
Forestieri 2
McGugan 2
Lee 1
Bannan 1
Nuhiu 1
Lopez 1

Attempts On Target:

Pudil 2
Lee 1
Bannan 1
Lopez 1
McGugan 1

Key Passes:

Hutchinson 2
Forestieri 2
Turner 1
Pudil 1
Wallace 1
Bannan 1
Lopez 1

Dribbles:

Hunt 2
Bannan 2
Lopez 1

Dispossessed:

Hunt 3
Hutchinson 2
Forestieri 2

Bad Control:

Lee 6
Nuhiu 3
Joao 3
Forestieri 3
Hunt 2
Bannan 2
McGugan 1

Crosses:

Bannan 4 (2 accurate)
Wallace 4 (2 accurate)
Hunt 3 (1 accurate)
Hutchinson 1 (1 accurate)
Forestieri 1 (1 accurate)
McGugan 1 (0 accurate)

Passing Accuracy (Number of Passes in Brackets)

Lopez 100% (4)
Pudil 83% (42)
Bannan 82% (34)
Forestieri 82% (28)
Lee 80% (25)
Wallace 78% (18)
Turner 75% (44)
Hutchinson 68% (37)
Lees 67% (45)
McGugan 67% (6)
Hunt 62% (37)
Westwood 49% (35)
Nuhiu 38% (26)
Joao 0% (4)

Total Touches:

Lees 65
Hunt 57
Turner 55
Pudil 53
Hutchinson 52
Bannan 51
Westwood 51
Forestieri 42
Lee 42
Nuhiu 32
Wallace 28
Joao 13
McGugan 12
Lopez 9

So four consecutive wins & three consecutive league wins put us in the top half of the table, which already is shaping up the way most of us expected with all the better sides near the top and the likely strugglers sliding towards the bottom.

In our first five matches, we played three of the current top six and in our second batch of five matches, we played three of the bottom six. That could account for our improvement in points gained. We are generally playing much more attractive football but we are going to have to play for 90 minutes against the better sides.

CC said in his post match interview that we had a number of players running on empty and the international break will allow them to top up the tank for the challenges ahead. The next batch of games gives us seven matches in 22 days, which will test the depth of our squad with games including Hull, QPR, Arsenal & Brighton. If we are still in contention after that run of games then DC will be getting his cheque book out in January to buy the striker to get us over the line.

Two weeks rest now for the fans.