Sheffield Wednesday Hillsborough 7/12/2024 12.30 pm The dreaded 12.30 kick off an atmosphere killer if ever there was, just 1000 plucky souls will make their way to the North of the City, will be my first visit since December 2018 MANAGER please log in to view this image LAST TIME OUT please log in to view this image FORM GUIDE OWLS 14 PNE 5 FORM BOYS please log in to view this image NEW BOYS please log in to view this image A BIT OF PREVIOUS please log in to view this image https://www.swfc.co.uk/ The Fitness Test Liam Lindsay and Mads Frøkjær are both back in full training and are expected to be available to feature on Saturday. Robbie Brady has also returned to training, however this match will come too soon for the Republic of Ireland international. Brad Potts is now back to full health after struggling with illness prior to last weekend's draw with West Brom, which limited him to a substitute cameo. The Owls Sheffield Wednesday head into the weekend after picking up back-to-back victories away from home, against Hull City and Derby County respectively. Those results have seen the Owls rise to 12th in the table and they'll be looking to keep pushing further to a much more comfortable position than they found themselves in last season, when Danny Röhl’s side managed to stay up against the odds. Matches between Wednesday and North End have been tight affairs in recent times, with 1-0 scorelines coming in each of the last four meetings. The Officials Referee: Bobby Madley Assistant Referees: Blake Antrobus and Darren Williams Fourth Official: Adam Herczeg Bobby Madley will referee his third PNE match of the season on Saturday, having taken charge of the opening day defeat to Sheffield United and the dramatic penalty shootout victory over Fulham. Madley has refereed 13 matches in total this season and in that time has shown 41 yellow cards and one red. CHAMPO STUFF please log in to view this image please log in to view this image CULTURAL STUFF please log in to view this image The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul, Sheffield, also known as Sheffield Cathedral, is the cathedral church for the Church of England diocese of Sheffield, England. Originally a parish church, it was elevated to cathedral status when the diocese was created in 1914. Sheffield Cathedral is one of five Grade I listed buildings in the city,[1] along with the Town Hall, Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, and the parish churches at Ecclesfield and Bradfield. The cathedral is located on Church Street in the city centre, close to the head of Fargate. Construction of the earliest section of the cathedral dates back to c. 1200, with the newest construction completed in 1966; the building is an unusual mixture of medieval and modern architecture. Cathedral tram stop, located outside the front churchyard, opened in 1994 and is today served by all four lines of the Sheffield Supertram network. Most recently, the cathedral underwent an interior and exterior refurbishment in 2013–2014. Sheffield Cathedral was damaged in a fire on 14 May 2020, an investigation into which is ongoing; a 40-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with arson. The fire destroyed a portion of the cathedral used by a homelessness charity.[2] A previous fire caused damage to the cathedral belltower in 1979. Hot seat words Paul Heckingbottom confirmed that both Liam Lindsay and Mads Frøkjær have trained all week and will be available to face Sheffield Wednesday. North End’s No.6 has missed the previous four matches through injury and the Danish midfielder has been absent for the last two fixtures with a hamstring issue. They’ll both be back involved for Saturday’s trip to Hillsborough, though, while Robbie Brady isn’t far off a return himself – although the weekend will come too soon. Asked about increased competition resulting in tougher decisions, Hecky said: “It's the right thing to have everyone fit and available. If you want to be successful, you want that all the time. “There does come elements of that, which changes how you have to manage people and the conversations you have with certain people, definitely. But ultimately, all of us, players and staff, we all want to be in a successful team and part of that means you've always got competition. “You’re always judged every week. It's the way it should be. Just because you're left out one week doesn't mean you can't start the week after because when you've got everyone fit and available, it allows you to do that as well.” The manager will be hoping that more bodies coming back will mean more chance of getting results, which North End are yearning for on the back of a period where they feel their performances have deserved more. Hecky said after the previous match that he’s been pleased with 90-95% of his side’s performances since his arrival, however it’s the important stuff in both boxes that hasn’t quite been right. Hecky said: “Whether you want to pick out individual games or since the Luton game, looking at trends and performances, if you're tracking the whole thing we’ve improved the amount of chances we've created and our attacking threat. “We've limited the threats on our goal, yet we've still not managed to change those results round often enough. “It shows that so much is right, but we need to be more clinical at one end of the pitch. “At the minute, the opposition teams have been more clinical against us for the few opportunities that we've given them.” There’ll be a minor sub-plot to Saturday’s clash against Sheffield Wednesday, too, with Hecky returning to a club with whom he earned promotion. However, now adored by the Sheffield United faithful for his exploits with them, his reception may not be the same as his previous visit. In the Owls, PNE are facing a side who have won their last two and are enjoying a steady season so far – sitting 12th in the Championship. Hecky said: “In terms of results and form, the results last season were probably better over the period, but they've not changed too much. People are saying they've picked up results and they're playing well, but they're probably not playing any better than they were at the start of the season. I think that just shows how tight this league is. “I think Danny [Röhl] has used his squad well – a good squad – so he's still able to bring on good players from the bench and affect the games really positively. “It shows that they're a well-organised, hard-working team. I think that regardless of if they've been at their best and on top in a game, they're still able to pose a real threat with the pace they've got, and they can be a really direct team. “I think we know how dangerous they're going to be and the fact that they've been picking up results as well when arguably they’ve not being playing the best football they've had this season, shows that they're a tough team to play against.”
Sheffield Wednesday 1 Smith Preston North End 1 Riis please log in to view this image Attendance: 23,927 (1,041 PNE fans). Referee: Mr R Madley. Considering the conditions which got worse as the game went on, this was an entertaining affair, personal view we should have won but you have to take your chances and sadly we didn't. At 1 up early in the second half leading one nil, we had ripped Wednesday apart down their right hand sideand not for the first time, Mads fed the ball to Greenwood, cross across the face of the goal Riis misses it and the ball arrives at Potts geet six yards out, considering some of the goals he has scored, this was as easy as it tes, so the surprise in the away end when he spaffs it passed the post and you knew probably knew what would come somewhere down the line in the remainder of the game, which it did 14 minutes from time when Smith converted from closs range after good work by Ingelsson who combined with Musaba? who played the ball across the area and in it went. Wednesday had already missed a great chance to level following a drop ball incident given apparently for the ball hitting a piece of rubbish on the pitch. Windass took it and eventually worked his way into the box aand was brought down. This actually woke the unusually quiet home support up. Windass to the left, Woodman to the right saves the kick and the rebound, from zero to hero in two games for the keeper. Had chance to win it the Burnley free kick was tried again and Riis fired narrowly wide. Wednesday pressed but we held on at the end for a point. The first period was mainly one way we dominated apart form a short spell of play when Windass fired one which Woodman made a TV save, we had loads of joy down our left, Mads played KKH in shot well saved by Beadle, Greenwood also had a shot saved, but actually no surprise when we scored, quick through in Mads ambles into the area, ball to Riis into the net goes the ball and the striker well deserved. Could have had other Beadle saved well from Riis and Potts fired wide from the rebound. Games like this you always happier with a second and when the chance came we muffed it. Not to worry Cardiff on Wednesday night MACCERS Assistant manager Stuart McCall admitted he was “deeply frustrated” to be limited to a point against Sheffield Wednesday, in a match where he felt PNE put in a “really strong performance”. North End’s day in South Yorkshire was all going to plan after Emil Riis gave them an early lead and the visitors had plenty of opportunities to extend that advantage. Chances weren’t taken, though, and that was to cost Paul Heckingbottom’s side when Michael Smith levelled in the 76th minute. Stuart said: “I think if we're honest, we’re deeply frustrated and disappointed that we haven't got all three points. It was a really strong performance by the lads. “I think overall what we've got to take from it is if we keep performing in that manner and the way we're playing [we’ll win games]. We're creating opportunities, we're defending strong and solid. “Sheffield Wednesday are in a decent run of form. It’s mixed emotions in the fact that we're really disappointed. It should have been three points. “It'll be bittersweet to watch it back. We'll obviously analyse it because there were a lot of good performances, a lot of good things that we did, especially in difficult conditions. We took the ball, we played confidently, but it's only one point and it should have been three.” It was mainly one-way traffic at Hillsborough, with Kaine Kesler-Hayden, Sam Greenwood and Riis all testing James Beadle in the Wednesday goal in the first half. Brad Potts then missed a huge opportunity in the second period before Freddie Woodman came up with a brilliant double save to deny Josh Windass from the penalty spot and then a follow-up. Smith beat PNE’s No.1 later, though, meaning the Lilywhites are now ten without a victory. Stuart said: “There's a lot of opportunities now to turn these one points into three points. “We're not a team that's lacking in confidence. Many teams that have gone however many games without a victory, people start [thinking the mood’s bad]. There's none of that here. “The lads are in upbeat mood and in decent form. A lot of them are playing well individually and we've just got to keep playing. “I think there was a lot of good stuff, and we go to Cardiff on Wednesday now. We've got to put in the same level of performance and when the opportunities arise we've got to take them.” After the full-time whistle, Heckingbottom rallied his troops after they’d thanked the 1,041 PNE fans who’d braved the conditions and got them in a huddle on the pitch. Stuart said: “I think we were all frustrated naturally, but we don't want the lads to come off the park and think, ‘Oh, we haven't won again.’ “It was a case of ‘Listen, let's be positive,’ and I think that was it. It was a positive message. ‘Keep doing what we're doing, the supporters are with you. Give them a clap because they've been with us the whole season, but today as well.’ “It was just that we stick together now. We're disappointed and every one of them will be disappointed that we've not won because it's a game we should have won, but we didn’t and it's always an old saying - if you can't win it, you make sure you don't get beat. That’s what we’ve done today.” Dan the man Danny Röhl was scathing of the Owls’ performance following the 1-1 draw with Preston. Michael Smith’s second half goal cancelled out Emil Riis’ early opener but Röhl was far from satisfied with the bigger picture on a windswept afternoon at Hillsborough. He said: “We deserved nothing today, for me this was a defeat. Preston were the better team for me from the start, they had more chances and should have won the game. “The only positive for me was James Beadle, he made some great saves to keep us in the game and in particular one save when they could have been 2-0 ahead and then it would have been a long way back. “I will take the point but I have said to my players that we have to better than that. It is hard for me to take because I know we have a lot more quality than we have shown today. “It is easy to look at the table to say we are doing well, we have 26 points, but if we play like this we will not make a lot of progress. “I am ambitious, I want only good things and to get better. I love my players, I love my team, but we have to be better. “We have another big game on Tuesday against a good team in Blackburn and I want to see a big improvement, it is as simple as that.”
