Fans can push Owls over the line, says Reach
WINGER Adam Reach has warned Sheffield Wednesday supporters to prepare for some tense moments in this evening’s all-Yorkshire play-off semi-final second leg against Huddersfield Town at a sell-out Hillsborough.
The Owls hold a psychological advantage heading into tonight’s second instalment after shutting out Town in Sunday’s goalless first-leg stalemate, which extended their unbeaten sequence against their West Yorkshire rivals to eight matches.
Reach himself is chasing his second appearance in a Championship play-off final after helping former club Middlesbrough to the Wembley showpiece in 2015.
Boro enjoyed a wholly comfortable second leg two years ago at home to Brentford, with a 3-0 victory following a 2-1 triumph in West London.
While understandably hoping for a similar outcome tonight, the winger, mindful of Sunday’s tight scoreline, says that the Owls must be prepared to dig deep against opponents who will look to prey on any anxieties of the home support.
Huddersfield head coach David Wagner has called on his side to do that by drawing the sting out of the expectant Wednesday hordes by silencing the vast majority of the 32,600 crowd.
Reach said: “I am expecting the fans to get right behind us and I hope that they do. (But) it is a semi-final and it is difficult. Sometimes it is going to be cagey and there might not be that pure quality of play.
“As players we don’t care how we play. Obviously, we would prefer to play well, but we want to get the win, so we don’t care how we get it.
“The fans have got to remember that it might not be an open, expansive, 100 miles per hour game. It might be cagey at times, even though we are the home team.
“But when they get a chance to get behind us, I am sure that they will and that will help us push on. Hopefully, them and us playing well will get us over the line.”
Sunday’s encounter saw both sides take a modicum of satisfaction into the pivotal second leg, with elements of Town’s attacking play successfully highlighting the vibrant, high-octane gegenpressing approach that has served them well during an outstanding 2016-17.
For their part, Wednesday’s defensive organisation and resolve were equally striking, with Reach believing that Town’s inability to find a way through may have left them a touch deflated, given how well they played.
Reach said: “They had a right go at us and put everything into it and I am sure they will be slightly disappointed that they didn’t come away with a win.
“Yes, we maybe will have a little bit more than them at home and I am fully expecting we will have a bit more than them.
“We are a very good away side, but are definitely stronger at home with the fans.
“It is going to be a great atmosphere because the tie is poised on a knife-edge.
“But we are all confident that we can beat anyone in the league at home and we have proved that.”
After being happy to adopt a policy of containment at the John Smith’s Stadium, Reach accepts that the onus will be on the Owls to be more offensively-minded at Hillsborough this evening.
In the league fixture at S6 back in January, Wednesday produced a balanced display that displayed both attacking threat and their defensive strength en route to a solid 2-0 victory and the winger believes that will be the template to follow in tonight’s play-off cauldron.
The north-easterner, who joined the club from Boro for £5m in August, added: “We are going to have to retain the ball (better) and I think we do at home; we always do and we make Hillsborough as big as possible.
“They are going to still have possession of the ball as well because that is the way they want to play.
“We will keep a high line and nick the ball and maybe exploit the areas that they leave wide like we did in the Hillsborough (league) game in the regular season and won 2-0.
“If we do that again and take the lead, it is about how well we defend. But we are all positive that if we do keep another clean sheet, we will win the game.”
After keynote home wins at the business end of the season against Newcastle United and Derby County last month, Reach is hopeful that Wednesday will be able to find “another gear” tonight, while paying due respect to a Huddersfield side who have recorded some impressive results on the road at the likes of St James’ Park, Elland Road and Carrow Road during the regular season.
He said: “They (Huddersfield) are not going to come and suddenly concede six goals because they have had to have good away form to be in this position.
“But we have beaten big teams such as Newcastle at home and others and always seem to find another gear at home.
“Hopefully, the experience that some of the lads have got from last season and the experiences in the play-offs will be enough to get us over the line.”