The Games
Sheffield United
We started the month with a nice friendly game against our friends from Sheffield 2...…, sorry we started the month with the nerve jangling, sleep depriving, feeling sick fest that is the Steel City Debry. While I hated the build up as always I actually really enjoyed the pre match atmosphere. The evening kick off made it a bit more atmospheric. As for the game while it lacked quality there were positives in it. Another valuable clean sheet for us, Aarons' pace caused problems for them and while we didn't create a load of chances the best one of the night did fall out way. Sam Hutchinson certainly would have been a very popular goalscorer. Overall the 2nd 0-0 between Wednesday and United of the season and third since their return to the Championship was a fair result. They had the best chance of the first half and didn't take it. We had the best chance of the 2nd and didn't take it. They settled for the point with their subs, we didn't quite have enough about us to win it. Fair result. There was obviously a lot of talk about the incident in which a Wednesday fan threw a bottle at Jack O'Connell and obviously it goes without saying that person is an idiot.
Derby County
Following the point against United we made the trip to Derby, it was a fair assumption that if we were to keep up the fight for the play offs we needed something from the trip to Pride Park, a ground in which we'd not won at since 2006. Overall we could well have won it with a decent performance. Bradley Johnson got his usual goal against Wednesday but big Dominic Iorfa equalised to give Wednesday a well deserved point. Sam Winnall's disallowed goal was a talking point and having seen it back a number of times I have to say I think the officials got it right. Winnall's return was a boost and gave us another option after Forestieri's half time substitution in the derby.
Bolton Wanderers
After Derby it was a trip to struggling Bolton. Bolton needed the points just as much as we did to keep their survival hopes alive. From out point of view the first 40 minutes were quite tepid. We didn't really keep the ball well enough and couldn't get into any proper rhythm. That said we were playing in tough conditions with the wind blowing strongly and as many crisp packets and sweet wrappers being blown onto the pitch as players. Steven Fletcher gave Wednesday the lead just before the break with a lovely dinked finish from Barry Bannan's pass. After that Rolando Aarons made it 2-0 not long after half time with his first goal for Wednesday. His growing popularity with the Owls fans was given another boost with that goal. Overall it was a pleasing result and if we do want to make the Play Offs those are the kinds of games that you need to win, not many will remember it as a classic but an important three points none the less.
Blackburn Rovers
After that win at Bolton the confidence was high around Hillsborough that we'd be able to back it up against Blackburn. I have to say that to have that bounce and belief around the club again in such a short space of time is great to see. Some cynics might put it down to the fickle nature of football fans but I genuinely think it down to the fact people believe in the manager and his ideology. This game was another example of the job Bruce and his coaching team have done. We took the lead again through in form Steven Fletcher not long after Sam Hutchinson had limped off injured. Not a bad way for Fletcher to celebrate his 100th appearance for Wednesday. Adthe Nuhiu scored a header to make it 2-0 after replacing Fletcher in the 2nd half. Blackburn to their credit played some decent football and were back in it when Craig Conway scored on 72. Dominic Iorfa again though proved to be a threat from a set piece making it 3-1 with a header before Marco Matias rounded off the afternoon with a fantastic pass from Nuhiu that he struck at Rovers' Keeper David Raya who fumbled it into his own net. They did pull one back but it was too little to late and Wednesday claimed the points. Again like Bolton, the conditions were tough, it was chucking it down at Hillsborough. They played some decent stuff and on another day it could have been a different result but too lose all your subs after just 56 minutes and win the game quite convincingly is to be applauded.
Stoke City
The final game of the month saw us travel to play Stoke City. Stoke have struggled this season but despite that they still have a very talented bunch of players there. The likes of Allen, Butland, Martins Indi, Shawcross are all top players and it was a game that worried me. Not in terms of thinking that we'd get thrashed but that of the games we have left a lot of fans were talking about this one as a banker of a win. A 0-0 draw sort of implies it was harder than people gave it credit for. Away from the result, It was fantastic to see Gary Hooper back on a team sheet for Sheffield Wednesday. It's been no secret that injuries have played a massive part in the fortunes of the club over the last 18 months or so, so to get such a key player back for the end of the season is a huge boost. Whether he will be here next season or not isn't clear but it'll be nice to see what he can do in the last month or so of the season. Hooper did play a part in the big talking point of the game which was George Boyd's disallowed goal. From watching it back I have to say I think the linesman maybe just got it right but even so a frustrating moment for Boyd who's taken quite a bit of stick recently. In fairness to him it's never easy to come in at the last minute like he did at Stoke when Rolando Aarons was injured in the warm up and he did OK. It wasn't vintage Wednesday from anyone.
So where does this leave us?
From my point of view, I'll keep saying what I said when Bruce came in. This is a long term project. I have full confidence in Bruce to keep improving us week by week. As for the play off push, I do think that last weekend was a key day in that race. Us dropping points and us winning does make it tough, having said that we still have to play a number of the teams in the race. Villa, Forest and Preston as well as Bristol City who in my opinion will finish in there anyway. It's still there, for me I'd just say enjoy the ride. Last time we were in the play offs the pressure was on us. If we somehow got in there we'd be playing with little pressure so from that point of view there is little to be too nervous about.
Some big games coming up, points to be won and lost all over the division. Hopefully whatever happens it can be a positive April.
Thanks for reading
Tom
WAWAW
