MX23RW : Monday, April 28 05:40:33| >> :600:250546:250546:
[monks data]
Huddersfield logo
Championship
Feb 22, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
Sheffield Wednesday logo

0-2

FT(HT: 0-1)
Helan (40'), Maghoma (72')

Preview: Huddersfield Town vs. Sheffield Wednesday

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship Yorkshire derby between Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday.

Huddersfield Town will host Sheffield Wednesday in a Championship Yorkshire derby at the John Smith's Stadium this Saturday.

The hosts are currently sitting comfortably in midtable and realistically harbour little hope of launching a late charge for the playoffs.

A total of 10 points separate them from sixth-placed Reading, but a mixture of heavy competition and inconsistent form means that Mark Robins is likely to settle for a midtable spot this season.

However, there is always pride to play for in a Yorkshire derby, so his side will certainly not take things easy on Sheffield Wednesday this weekend.

Town will be looking to bounce back from their last home outing, which saw them comprehensively beaten by Nottingham Forest, ending a run of three wins in a row and four matches without defeat.

With a big enough goal swing, victory could lift them as high as 10th in the table, but a number of the teams around them have a game in hand, so it could only be a temporary rise.

Robins will be boosted by the return of top scorer James Vaughan following a lengthy injury absence, although he is unlikely to start the match.

Wednesday will have fond memories of recent Yorkshire derbies having edged further away from danger with a 1-0 win over Barnsley after memorably thrashing Leeds United 6-0 at Hillsborough.

However, their fine form under Stuart Gray came to a shuddering halt with a 3-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic last Tuesday, while seven days later they fell to another loss at the hands of Derby County.

A run of 11 games without losing before that has lifted them well clear of the relegation zone, however, and they can now breathe easily for the next few weeks.

They are not completely clear of danger, with just nine points separating them from 22nd-placed Charlton Athletic, who have two games in hand, but it shouldn't take much more to see them safe for another season.

The improvement in the Owls' away form has been a major reason behind their remarkable turnaround, and they are now unbeaten in eight games on the road in all competitions, with their last defeat coming back in November.

Gray could welcome Benik Afobe and Jose Semedo back into the side, but he will be without Rafael Floro and Anthony Gardner again, while Reda Johnson is also a major doubt.

Recent form

Huddersfield: LLLWLW

Sheff Weds: WDWWLL

Possible starting lineups

Huddersfield: Smithies; Lynch, Gerrard, Smith; Hammill, Clayton, Hogg, Norwood, Dixon; Wells, Ward

Sheff Weds: Kirkland; Palmer, Llera, Loovens, Mattock; Lee, Maguire, Semedo, Antonio, Maghoma; Afobe

Sports Mole says: 1-1


ID:139693: cacheID:139693:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5479:
Written by
Barney Corkhill
No Data Analysis info

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Restore Data
Share this article now:
Stuart Gray manager of Sheffield Wednesday looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United at Hillsborough Stadium on January 11, 2014
Read Next:
Preview: Sheff Weds vs. Barnsley
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Birmingham CityBirmingham443293803050105
2Wrexham452611865343189
3Stockport CountyStockport452412969412884
4Wycombe WanderersWycombe452412969422784
5Charlton AthleticCharlton4524101164422282
6Leyton Orient452361668472175
7Reading4521121266531375
8Bolton WanderersBolton45207186669-367
9Blackpool4416161268571164
10Huddersfield TownHuddersfield45197195751664
11Lincoln CityLincoln4516131664541061
12Barnsley451610196571-658
13Rotherham UnitedRotherham451511195258-656
14Stevenage451511194149-856
15Exeter CityExeter451511194962-1356
16Wigan AthleticWigan441315163840-254
17Peterborough UnitedPeterborough441312196575-1051
18Northampton TownNorthampton451214194765-1850
19Mansfield TownMansfield44139225371-1848
20Burton Albion441113204762-1546
21Crawley TownCrawley451110245582-2743
22Bristol Rovers45127264372-2943
23Cambridge UnitedCambridge45911254471-2738
24Shrewsbury TownShrewsbury4589284077-3733


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!