Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 Preston North End
A Game of Two Halves!
A boring first half was quickly overshadowed by two early goals from the Owls which put them ahead. Preston pulled a goal back through substitute Louis Moult with twenty minutes to go but Wednesday held on and extended their lead by a further two goals. Both spectacular efforts from Nuhiu and the returning Forestieri.
Preston found themselves only two points below the playoff positions prior to the fixture. They got off to quick start in the game, going close three minutes in. Paul Gallagher spotted the run of Barkhuizan and chipped the ball over the Wednesday backline. Barkhuizan let the ball bounce before volleying it over the bar.
Wednesday were against the odds in this game however they gave Preston a real run for their money. Clever play from Nuhiu allowed Barry Bannan to switch the ball over to Fox. Morgan headed towards goal but keeper Declan Rudd was on hand to catch the looping effort.
The home side had a great chance to open the scoring just after the half hour mark. Bannan floated in a freekick, that was won by Fox, toward the backpost where Tom Lees nodded the ball downwards. Reach latched on to the loose ball and hit a shot towards the target. The ball fizzed up into the air, due to a deflection off a Preston player, and Nuhiu headed it into the roof of the net.
Preston had two chances from two freekicks in the space of five minutes. Paul Gallagher whipped in a dangerous freekick from wide right of the field. An unmarked Barkhuizen jumped highest but headed straight over the bar. Then from a similar position, Ben Davies glanced Gallagher’s set-piece across the face of goal and wide.
North End had the best chance of the game on the stroke of halftime. Alan Browne pumped a deep freekick, from around the halfway point, into the box. Josh Earl flicked the ball on across goal to Ben Davies who saw his header down at goal caught superbly by Joe Wildsmith.
The halftime whistle brought an end to a uninspiring first period.
Lucas Joao was brought on for Sam Hutchinson, who was booked after 25 seconds in the game, as the hosts looked to kick on and show a more attacking outlet. They did just that as The Owls shocked Preston and netted two early goals.
Five minutes after the restart, Pelupessy whipped in a good corner which was punched away by Rudd. Hunt picked up the ball and darted down the right, beating two Preston players along the way, before crossing to the middle where Joao slightly flicked it on and Atdhe Nuhiu stabbed the ball into the back of the net.
Two minutes later, Bannan had space just inside the Preston half. He saw the run of Joao and accurately crossed the ball over the top of the defensive line for Joao who brilliantly looped his header over a back-pedalling Declan Rudd. Wednesday fans were in disbelief as to where the Owls plucked these two goals from.
A few minutes later, Joao was close to netting his second goal of the game. Good passing play between Nuhiu and Pudil allowed the latter to dink the ball over Fisher to Bannan. Bannan headed it onto Fox, Morgan Fox crossed low to Joao who ended up scuffing his effort just wide.
The rain came down just after the hour mark. This seemed to shift the momentum in Preston’s favour. Tom Barkhuizen crossed towards the backpost to Maguire. The forward chested it down but failed to poke it in as Tom Lees was back in time to keep it out.
Several minutes later, Preston wasted two great opportunities to pull a goal back. Josh Earl switched play to the right-hand side. Fisher slotted through Barkhuizen, he then continued his run along the byline before cutting the ball back to Callum Robinson whose shot, from six yards out, cannoned off the post. The ball fell to Bannan however Fisher nicked the ball off him and crossed into the middle where Barkhuizen headed wide of the target.
Preston’s pressure paid off as on 72 minutes, they pulled a goal back through Louis Moult, who had just entered the field from the bench. Robinson back heeled Browne’s pass into the path of Johnson who squared the ball into the middle for Moult to tap home.
All eyes were glued to the Wednesday bench as Fernando Forestieri took off his training top and swapped it for his famous number 45 shirt. The Wednesday faithful arose to welcome him back onto the pitch for the first time since the 22nd of August. This put much needed and welcome confidence into the atmosphere at Hillsborough. It also gave the home side a major boost as they ended Preston’s chances of levelling the fixture, and they finished the game in style.
With five minutes to go, Wednesday went close to putting the game beyond doubt however Declan Rudd made a fine save to deny the Owls that chance. Wednesday broke forward after a Preston attack. Forestieri flicked it onto Nuhiu, Nuhiu then slotted through Joao. Lucas Joao carried the ball from the halfway line to the box. He played a neat ‘give and go’ with Forestieri before firing towards goal. However Rudd had rushed off his line and saved with his body. The ball ended up on the right with Palmer who crossed towards the backpost. Joao headed it across goal to Forestieri but his shot was blocked by a covering defender and the ball went out for a corner.
Following Forestieri’s chance, Wednesday added another goal to their tally in spectacular fashion. Wednesday looked as though they were going hold the ball in the corner to waste time…Atdhe had other plans. Liam Palmer played the corner short to the Kosovan international. Nuhiu took it past three opposing players, nutmegged a fourth before curling the ball superbly into the top corner with his weak foot. An amazing strike from the 6ft 6” frontman.
Forestieri capped of his return to the side with a goal in the six minute of injury time. Wednesday got a freekick on the edge of the box after Lucas Joao was brought down by Alan Browne. Forestieri stepped up and berried his shot over the wall and into the bottom corner.
The final whistle went to confirm Sheffield Wednesday’s second win in as many games. They next face a trip up to Sunderland on bank holiday Monday.
STAR MAN: Atdhe Nuhiu
Again it was the big man who deserves a lot of credit. He netted two goals and bullied the Preston backline all game. He did well to be involved in the first half as he was quite isolated up on his own due to the formation, however when Joao came on, he flourished. He won everything in the air and linked play well. He’s now scored four goals in two games.
Attendance: 26,588
Goals: Nuhiu (50’, 90+2’), Joao (52’), Forestieri (90+6’); Moult (72’)
SWFC: Joe Wildsmith; Jack Hunt (Liam Palmer), Frederico Venancio, Tom Lees, Daniel Pudil, Morgan Fox; Barry Bannan (Fernando Forestieri), Joey Pelupessy, Sam Hutchinson (Lucas Joao), Adam Reach; Atdhe Nuhiu
Unused Subs: Cameron Dawson, Jacob Butterfield, David Jones, Jordan Rhodes
PNEFC: Declan Rudd; Darnell Fisher (Josh Harrop, Ben Davies, Paul Huntington, Josh Earl; Tom Barkhuizan, Paul Gallagher (Daniel Johnson), Ben Pearson, Alan Browne, Callum Robinson; Sean Maguire (Louis Moult)
Unused Subs: Chris Maxwell, Tom Clarke, Greg Cunningham, Billy Bodin
No comments:
Post a Comment