Sheffield Wednesday continued their winning form with a one nil victory over Wayne Rooney’s Derby County at Hillsborough on New Year’s Day.
In what was a game that was sure to be a close encounter, it was the home side who went on to record the third win in their last four matches even though they are currently managerless at the minute.
The first half started pretty evenly as both sides were keeping the ball well. As the game got going though it was Derby who were having the better chances, Louie Sibley and Graeme Shinnie both had good chances and came close, then Colin Kazim-Richards went even closer when he hit the crossbar with a header after Craig Forsyth had crossed brilliantly for the forward. It was a chance he really should have taken.
Kachunga almost gave the hosts the lead against the run of play when he leapt to glance Barry Bannan's free-kick wide of the left-hand post. But Wednesday did take the lead not long after when Callum Patterson scored after a Barry Bannan free kick was poorly defended by Derby.
That was pretty much the end of the action, Derby ran out of ideas and failed to create anymore decent chances as Sheffield Wednesday would go on to record a massive three points as they look to climb the table. They need to find a manager as well at some point but after the last two games I’m sure they won’t be in too much of a hurry.
Rooney will be disappointed to see his side lose a game where they could easily have been leading comfortably by HT.
SHEFF WED 1 DERBY 0
Paterson 61
Below I have copied both clubs match reviews incase you want an official take on the game.
SHEFF WED REPORT:
A Callum Paterson second half strike saw Wednesday overcome basement rivals Derby to climb out of the relegation zone for the first time this season.
Patterson stooped to claim his fourth goal of the campaign as his side posted three successive home wins.
The Rams, though, will be kicking themselves after squandering a hatful of chances and that profligacy would cost them at least a share of the spoils.
Derby saw most of the ball through the early exchanges which led to two decent opportunities inside a minute.
Louie Sibley warmed the palms of Joe Wildsmith from distance and from the rebound Graham Shinnie had a fierce shot cleared off the line by Barry Bannan.
Wednesday launched their first attack through Kadeem Harris, who jinked his way down the left flank to pick out Adam Reach, whose lob was too high.
The Rams responded with a deft Matthew Clark effort that Tom Lees deflected wide before Wildsmith somehow kept out Krystian Bielik’s header from the resulting corner.
Derby went closer still from their next assault when Craig Forsyth floated a teasing cross into the danger zone from which Colin Kazim-Richards planted a diving header against the crossbar.
Bielik smashed narrowly wide on the turn as the Rams continued to turn the screw, but they were almost caught cold right on half time.
Bannan floated a wicked set piece into the box and Elias Kachunga, on for the injured Josh Windass, nodded wide with the goal gaping.
The Midlanders began the second half as they did the first and Sibley might have done better after being presented with a clear opening 12 yards out but shot wide of the target.
Forsyth then drilled a low feed that fizzed right into the corridor in front of goal, with Kazim-Richards a shoelace away converting on the charge.
But Wednesday hit back to take the lead just past the hour. Bannan’s set piece caused problems in the Rams’ rearguard and Paterson finished five yards out.
Derby committed numbers forward in search of a vital leveller and it was backs to the wall for Wednesday to the final whistle.
But the Owls made it over the line with a sturdy defensive display to begin the New Year in new Championship territory.
DERBY COUNTY REPORT:
The Rams remained unchanged in the starting line-up to the team that secured a 4-0 victory over Birmingham City earlier in the week.
However, on Friday night, a handful of first-half chances weren’t capitalised on by Wayne Rooney’s side and Callum Paterson bundled in the only goal of the game midway through the second half to secure three points for the Owls.
Derby started as they left off in their final game of 2020, completely in control in the opening stages and barely giving Wednesday a look-in at the ball.
On the 15 minute-mark, their first opportunity came as Louie Sibley drove forward and sent a venomous strike from range to send Joe Wildsmith diving towards the bottom corner to palm the effort away. It only went as far as Colin Kazim-Rickards inside the area who played a quick back-heel to Kamil Jozwiak.
The winger waltzed deeper into the area before cutting back to Graeme Shinnie who side-footed a shot across goal which Barry Bannan blocked to go over.
Sibley was involved in another chance soon after when Nathan Byrne lifted the ball over to him at the back post. He headed back across goal and Matt Clarke scooped in an effort that was deflected just wide. The resulting corner was sent in well by Byrne and Krystian Bielik’s header at the back post was blocked and eventually cleared.
The best opportunity of the half came just ahead of the 30 minute-mark. Kazim-Richards held the ball up brilliantly deep in the Owls’ half and rolled the ball into the path of Shinnie.
He picked out Craig Forsyth who whipped a perfect ball in from the left, over the centre-back’s head in the middle of the box and in space for Kazim-Richards to run on to. The striker flew in but his headed effort rattled off the crossbar. Wednesday found their footing in the final five minutes of the half and got close from a set piece. Bannan curled a free-kick in from the left of Derby’s box which was met by Elias Kachunga’s diving header just wide of the mark.
The Rams were back in control to start the second half and within ten minutes another brilliant delivery by Forsyth created another chance. After a patient build-up, a ball was half-cleared to Bielik from inside the box, he nodded back out to Forsyth on the left who crossed in perfectly towards the back post, but Sibley was inches too late to slide in a poke home.
On the stroke of 60 minutes, the hosts took the lead through Paterson. Bannan’s free-kick was flicked on at the near post and David Marshall came out to punch away but couldn’t connect well and Paterson bundled the second chance in.
Soon after, an opportunity came down the other end from a free-kick. Shinnie sent a ball into the area which was initially cleared to Jozwiak, he scuffed the shot slightly and was blocked back to Jason Knight who quickly found Shinnie again to his side. The midfielder struck from just inside the area to draw a strong save by Wildsmith.
In the final minute of injury time, there were shouts for a penalty from the Derby players when an effort by Lee Buchanan by the post looked to hit the hand of the defender, but the referee dismissed the appeals and the Rams left without a point.
They will now have a fortnight break from Sky Bet Championship action as their focus momentarily switches to the FA Cup when they travel to face Chorley on Saturday 9th January.
Sheffield Wednesday: Wildsmith, Palmer, Paterson (Rhodes, 71), Harris, Pelupessy, Bannan (C), Reach, Leeds, Windass (Kachunga, 38), Odubajo, Shaw.
Substitutes: Jackson, Penney, Dele-Bashiru, Brown, Hunt, Brennan, Waldock.
Derby County: Marshall (C), Wisdom, Forsyth (Buchanan, 72), Shinnie (Bird, 72), Bielik, Jozwiak, Byrne, Kazim-Richards, Clarke, Sibley, Knight.
Substitutes: Roos, te Wierik, Whittaker, Evans, Watson, Gordon, Hector-Ingram.
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