Team Lineups

Owls well beaten and play-off hopes fade

Wednesday’s slim play-off hopes got even slimmer after being totally outplayed in a 1-0 defeat at Leeds on Saturday evening.

We could have no complaints about the result – indeed it would have been more but for the first-half heroics of Keiren Westwood – and it will now need a near miracle to make the play-offs as we remain six points behind the final place with just four games remaining.

Wednesday just could not cope with Leeds’ pressing play and, when we did get possession, we invariably gave it away cheaply as they hustled and harried us into errors throughout the match.

Early on, Gary Hooper broke clear in the box but shot into the side-netting from a tight angle and Barry Bannan forced a save from Kiko Casilla later in the half.

However, they were rare attacking threats from Wednesday, leaving Westwood to turn on the style to keep out the home side for most of the first 45 minutes.

He produced a brilliant one-handed tipover save from Tyler Roberts and then denied Jack Harrison and Roberts again as the hosts threatened time and again.

Leeds continued to dominate after half time and it was no surprise when they finally broke the deadlock on 65 minutes, Harrison expertly sidefooting home from close range.

A late attack saw Fernando Forestier’s fierce drive blocked, Marco Matias shooting wide from the rebound but, that apart, the home side’s lead was never under threat.

Westwood, Palmer, Lees, Hector, Fox, Boyd, Hutchinson, Bannan, Reach (Matias 41), Fletcher (Nuhiu 76), Hooper (Forestieri 66).

 

 

Leave a Reply