Encouraging form at the back, now Owls must improve in attack

16 March 2010 01:28
Defensive displays pleasing but Wednesday lacking the goals to guide them to safety Sheffield Wednesday travel to Preston on Tuesday evening with Alan Irvine hoping to lead the Owls to a vital three points against his former employers. The club have performed reasonably well in the past three games taking four points off sides that are all in the hunt for promotion and the defence have shown a marked improvement, conceding only one goal in those three matches since the 5-0 drubbing at Reading. Despite these performances Wednesday are only outside the relegation zone on goal difference and with five wins expected to be needed to keep the club in the Championship things have to improve from an attacking perspective. Alarmingly, Leicester City are the only team that the Owls have managed to find the next against in the previous six matches and they have also only managed a solitary goal in the past five away games. Realistically the Owls need to win half of their remaining games and must be looking to take three points from these kind of fixtures otherwise the pressure increases with every match that passes by. Wednesday travel to Deepdale with a string squad, Francis Jeffers could return to a place on the bench if Irvine chooses to add to his attacking options but Sean McAllister could miss out for the second game in succession due to a niggling stomach injury. Top scorer Marcus Tudgay missed last weeks defeat at WBA due to illness and only played 20 minutes as a substitute on his return at Swansea on Saturday. Considering Wednesday’s lack of goals in these games the striker could be in line for a return and if so the team is likely to resemble the one that triumphed at home to Leicester. Preston come into the fixture buoyed by a 3-2 win over promotion chasing Nottingham Forest at the weekend. The lilywhites may be forced into key changes from the side that started Saturday’s game however and this could give the Owls some encouragement. Defender Youl Mawene was forced off with a groin strain close to half-time against Forest with the score at 3-0 so his loss was clearly felt in the second half. Furthermore his replacement, Liam Chilvers also picked up a knock and faces a late test on his fitness. Striker Jon Parkin, so often a thorn in Wednesday’s side in the past missed Saturday’s victory and he will also undergo a late assessment. Wednesday have two home games to come after this trip but picking up a much needed away win would take a little pressure of these forthcoming games, it will be far from easy though as Preston have been beaten just three times in eighteen league games on home soil. After a somewhat inconsistent period since the departure of Irvine Darren Ferguson’s side have come into some settled form and are unbeaten in four, they have won three and drawn two of their last five home matches. Wednesday have made seven visits to Deepdale in the past decade and have failed to win any of them, picking up four draws including 1-1 last season when the home side equalised in the last minute. North End also secured a 2-1 victory at Hillsborough earlier this season despite Wednesday dominating for large periods of the match.  

Source: FOOTYMAD