Sheffield Wednesday v Ipswich Town Match Preview

[Bluemike]

Super goal

[lucy]

Only been on for 4 minutes, any idea why he has no number or name on back of his shirt?

I thought he was going for the squad number 50.

[Magicmark]

And thats why i was excited about Williams coming back,he`s world class for us

[James Scharmann]

Anderson on for Sammon

[lucy]

Norwich Losing

[James Scharmann]

Bru coming on for Williams hope injury not too serious...

[lucy]

Full time 1-1 i will take that. Still unbeaten which is good thing.

[James Scharmann]

Decent point to extend our unbeaten run to 6 games, what a tough game on Sunday though deffo take 0-0 like last season

[Andym]

Good result against a decent team

[Bluemike]

I am well happy with that, saw most of it but the bloody stream kept freezing etc. A fair result and a cracking goal from Joniesta, hopefully not too seriously injured though. They are a big powerful side and to come away with a point is more than satisfying, it keeps the run going, keeps us in the play off places and now we are only 2 points off the top. Happy days.

[herforder]

Very well earned point, if not a vintage performance - but was never going to be that sort of game. JW scoring was almost written in the stars! Bit concerned by DG's poor goal kicks, most of which ended up giving away possession.

Onwards and upwards towards Sunday.

[lucy]

Williams injury doesn't sound too bad. He says he felt his groin and will be in tomorrow working with Physios.

[Mach_Polish_Blue]

Got back from Sheffield and have to say this draw was a fair result.

Stuart Gray Sheffield Wed manager must have studied our Wigan performance last week in every detail. The way we were sussed out in the first half was somewhat admirable. We were nowhere near what had produced at Wigan. Same line-up though tactics were wrong. Plenty of possesion, plenty of passes and pointless pumping of the ball towards our strikers. What for? Wednesdays defence had no problems whatsoever and coped spot on with that.
We only had couple of shots. Half decent one from Hyam after 41 minutes. Almost entire 1st half without threatening them.

The goal we conceded at the beginning of the game was very poor. Bad marking from their corner and Nuhiu used his height how he should. Got to say we conceded two more goals from their corners in this game albeit they were disallowed. Still a disappointing aspect of todays performance as marking was really bad.

I had no complaints at all over the result after first half as I've said above we were perfectly sussed out and stopped from playing. Our full-backs Parr and Mings couldn't gallop forward as they did in recent games. The latter in particular had a limp day as he lost the ball on a few occassions.
Change of personnel was required and I was craving for Williams to get on the pitch as he was a player to cause some havoc among their cagey and disciplined defence.

A few minutes after he had been introduced his volley gave us an equaliser and wild celebrations among Town faithful followed.
Both teams did try though I wouldn't say there was clear cut opportunities. We were lucky when Maguire's deflected shot went slightly wide.

Williams didn't do what I expected but still with him in the team we offered a bit more threat.

Anything could have happened but will all honesty neither team deserved to win.

Town's MOTM? For me Hyam as he was everywhere in the middle. Vast improvement and good ability of reading a game.

Conor Sammon is utterly talentless player. No skills whatsoever but we can't lay into him can we? Working hard, chasing very ball, being a nuisance for defenders. Good attitude as he does what he can.

Chambers' and Berra's battles to contain Nuhiu were certainly a characteristic point of the game. They did OK apart from set-pieces.

Crystal Palace are going to be our second team to support this season. Their good results and lack of injuries will mean they don't need Williams back.

A point is a point and given all circumstances we can't be greedy and disappointed. Our performance didn't merit 3 points and draw was a fair result between two physical sides.
Personally I am content. Not best of our days and still point gained. Forest on Sunday will provide a different opposition than Sheffield Wed as they're not going to be as physical.

We can wear our shirts with pride. The dark days are over and we aren't a 'nice little Ipswich' to play against. We are going to have loads more better days than Sheffield Wed today.

[arana peligrosa]

Read the match report on a rival page. Disappointed not to make it another win after the previous successes but four wins and a draw from the last five is a fine return. 18,000 at Sheffield for a mid-week game seems impressive, but didn't disclose how many of our own made the journey up. McCarthy has to be one of the favorites for the manager of the month accolade after recent games. If tonights result can be duplicated against Nottingham Forest then that will be (another) mighty fine result.

[Bluemike]

Great report Mach and many thanks, with the stream stuttering and freezing there were parts I missed but like you I think a draw seemed about right. This was no easy place to go and Wednesday have started well for a reason, they have already beaten brighton, Middlesbrough and Reading and drawn with derby so this is a more than acceptable return form an away game.

Unfortunately we couldnt make it 5 wins in a row but we are now unbeaten in6 and only 1 defeat in 8 and that is good in anyone's book. Lets hope Jonny Williams isnt too bad, it sounds like he may well be ok for Sunday, this will be a harder game and to get a draw at Forest would be a more than satisfying outcome. After all is said and done it is a nother away day overcome and we are still in the top six and we even closed in on the leaders again.

[Mr.Punch]

pity it wasn't a win but well happy we remain undefeated - onward and upwards!

caption "you know when you've been Tango'd!"

[Charnwood]

Maybe after four straight wins and rave reports I arrived at Hillsborough with too high an expectation. However whilst I am happy to concede it was a well earned point I came away disappointed with our overall performance.

Workmanlike yes, but attractive and exciting no.

The opening period perhaps set the tone with nothing much happening, although Wednesday looked the sharper of the two teams and it was a quick snap shot from outside the box which Gerken did well to save, which gave away the corner from which their giant of a centre forward Atdhe Nuhiu bullet headed into the back of the net. This fella was a massive 6' 6" and caused problems all night particularly from set pieces which we looked vulnerable to particularly in the first half.

Whilst the performance stats suggest we had most of the possession, most of this was in our own half passing sideways and backwards amongst ourselves with very little threat going forward, and when we did it was usually a hoof down the congested left side with the ball either going out of play or reaching Mings who would then lose control and make sure it went out of play or straight to the opposition with him caught at the wrong end of the pitch and Wednesday attacking down their right flank which they so often used whilst Mings was out of play.

For me our game was far to one dimensional with our midfield players lacking any real creativity, Bishop & Hyam looked lively in midfield but in reality created very little, Skuse sat behind them and whilst he defended well his distribution was poor as was his vision. So often Parr looked to be best placed to receive the ball but Scuse either booted it down the left looking for Mings to run on to it or straight down the middle hoping to reach Murphy. However in both cases it usually ended up giving away possession either out of play or straight to the opposition.

There were times when Berra, Chambers Gerkin and occasionally Skuse were passing the ball between themselves deep in our own half with Mick McCarthy who was immediately in front of me screaming at them to push forward, I think even he was frustrated by their lack of pace or purpose.

Apart from Wednesday's disallowed goal most of the first half was pretty uneventful and edged by Wednesday who looked much sharper and pacier for the first 45 mins, however that said there were a couple of header chances from Murphy minutes before half time, and another at the other end which Gerken did well to save.

The second half started much the same as the first half with neither side making much headway which was more of a worry to us than to The Owls who probably thought they could close the game down at 1-0. One thing about Wednesday is that they don't score many Championship goals, but they don't concede many either.

I'm sure it was always in Micks plan to bring Johnny Williams on and he did just that after 57 mins, and it took just a further 4mins before he had the ball in the back of the net with a well placed well struck shot that went in off the post. Williams looked a class act and added pace and spirit to side which until then was lacking. It was amazing how one player could make such a difference and he lifted everyone around him including Towns travelling Blue Army who must have been wondering what they were doing travelling all the way to Sheffield on a Tuesday evening watching a mediocre Town performance albeit not a bad game.

The final 30 mins was all about watching Johnny Williams flashes of brilliance which brightened up our game and my guess is that he'll be one of the first names on every future team sheet whilst he remains on loan. However we have to find a better way to get the ball to our front players rather than continually hoofing it up to Murphy hoping to get something out of his knock downs.

In summary, Gerks looked solid in goal. Chambers Berra and Parr solid in defence. Mings I probably didn't see at his best, his ball control was poor, he was regularly caught out of poition having lost the ball and unable to get back, and when he did get in a good position his final ball was usually over hit. Scuse played well defensively but lacked vision going forward and was very one dimensional. Bishop and Hyam worked hard but were often muscled out of posession or gave the ball away.

Salmon I was slightly disappointed in but didn't really see enough of him to judge, although there were times when he seemed to be our main target man. Murphy & McGoldrick spent a lot of time coming back deep looking for the ball which was rarely played at their feet and so often when hit upfield to them was so overhit it went straight out for a goal kick.

Certainly not vintage Town but Hillsorough isn't the easiest place in the Championship to visit and they were a much better team than the one we played last season. That said it was probably a very good point won rather than two points dropped.

[BLUEBLOOD]

There were times when Berra, Chambers Gerkin and occasionally Skuse were passing the ball between themselves deep in our own half with Mick McCarthy who was immediately in front of me screaming at them to push forward, I think even he was frustrated by their lack of pace or purpose.

I did not realise that you were on the bench this week Charny!
You must have some good contacts at the club mate

Good report tho.

[Charnwood]

Nice one BB.

Just a few rows back mate, super seats provided complimentary by SWFC and a parking space next to ITFC team bus. It doesn't come much better than that for a poor old pensioner.