Owls’ firepower could offer edge over Leeds and Town
STEVEN FLETCHER is confident that Sheffield Wednesday’s plethora of striking options will prove a trump card in the Yorkshire shoot-out for promotion to the Premier League.
Wednesday and White Rose rivals Leeds United and Huddersfield Town are gearing up for a pivotal Easter programme in their quest to nail down a topsix Championship place, with all three in action on Good Friday.
Wednesday provided themselves with the perfect tonic ahead of their forthcoming home encounter with Cardiff City by way of a fine 2-1 home win over title-chasing Newcastle United on Saturday – aided by Fletcher’s third goal in two matches.
The Scot’s decisive 68thminute strike helped the Owls’ jump back into the play-off places and register their second win on the trot – in a game in which Jordan Rhodes dropped to the bench and Sam Winnall and Fernando Forestieri were both unused substitutes while Athde Nuhiu was not even in their squad.
In contrast, the forward options afforded Carlos Carvalhal’s counterparts Garry Monk and David Wagner are less abundant.
United’s reliance on the input of 27-goal Chris Wood is self-evident, with Saturday’s victory over Preston being just the third time this season in which they have won a league game without a goal from their top-scorer.
While forwards Elias Kachunga and Nakhi Wells have hit double figure league hauls for Town – 11 and 10 goals respectively – back-up striker Collin Quaner has not yet scored in the league and their next-best scorer has netted just four times.
On the competition for places up front potentially proving a decisive factor for the sixth-placed Owls, Fletcher said: “We need as much firepower as we can get if we want to go on to bigger things.
“I have played at a lot of clubs who have a lot of strikers and there has always been good competition. Sam and Jordan have been great additions to the team. Jordan has done great since he has come in.
“We have five games to go. We have got another big game on Friday and we’ll look forward to that.
“It helps us having a big squad. We play Friday and Monday, so the gaffer can make changes.
“Everybody is playing twice over the Easter period. It is a big task for everybody. We will wait and see what the results are and just concentrate on our jobs.”
Fifth-placed Leeds are seeking to emulate Wednesday’s lead by handing Newcastle another promotion jolt when they visit St James’ Park for a league fixture for the first time in over 13 years on Friday evening.
The Magpies are nervously awaiting scan results regarding 22-goal top-scorer Dwight Gayle amid fears that the £10m striker – who netted both goals in the 2-0 win at Elland Road – could be sidelined for the rest of the season after picking up a hamstring injury at Hillsborough.
Despite considerable worries regarding the fitness of Gayle, the second-placed Tyneside clubstill hold a comfortable 10-point buffer over Huddersfield.
Town, who currently hold a one-point advantage over fourthplaced Reading and are two clear of Leeds – with a game in hand on both – welcome Preston on Friday, seeking to make amends for their recent shock home slip-up to Burton Albion.
Wednesday also face opponents managed by someone wellknown in Yorkshire circles in Cardiff chief Neil Warnock, with Carvalhal’s side aiming to build on their recent wins over Newcastle and Rotherham United – which helped steady the ship following a four-match winless sequence prior to that.
Just as the Owls have been provided with a major fillip by their past two results, Fletcher has also been afforded a brighter outlook by way of key strikes against the Millers and the Magpies, with his derby double at the AESSEAL New York Stadium ending a 14-match run without a league goal.
He added: “It has been frustrating, but I am glad I am back.
“I have come back in and done what I get paid to do, which is score goals.
“I kept working hard in training, I did not let it affect me. As a team, we just wanted the wins.
“It does not matter who plays as long as we put in big performances and get the three points.”
We play Friday and Monday, so the gaffer can make changes. Steven Fletcher, on Sheffield Wednesday’s high number of top-quality strikers.