Match preview: Owls v Forest

30 April 2021

The stakes are high for the Owls on Saturday lunchtime as we host Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough (12.30pm) in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

It’s our final home game of the campaign and Wednesday need a positive result to stand any chance of survival going into the final day of 2020/21.

A defeat would seal relegation from the Championship, while a draw or victory could take our fight to the last day at Derby, depending on the Rams’ result away at Swansea at 3.00pm.

For the Owls though, all focus is on our own performance and doing all we can to take the fight for safety right to the last.

It’s set to be a huge day of football.

MATCH DETAILS

Date: Saturday 1 May
Kick-off: 12.30pm
Championship
Hillsborough

OFFICIALS

Referee - Tim Robinson
Assistant Referee 1 - Akil Howson
Assistant Referee 2 - James Wilson
Fourth Official - Carl Boyeson

TRIBUTE

Here at Hillsborough, one major impact amongst countless others has been our inability to pay a fitting tribute to all those lost from the Wednesday family since January 2020.

Scheduled for the first home game of the New Year, the tribute was put back to the final home fixture against Nottingham Forest on Saturday in the hope that Wednesdayites would be permitted to return to the stadium.

Sadly, of course, that has not been possible. We did not wish to let the moment pass and have consequently produced the video below to share amongst our fans who can at least honour from afar those no longer with us.

Players and staff will pay their respects on matchday, donning black armbands and taking part in a minute’s silence ahead of kick-off.

LIVE BROADCAST

Season Ticket holders are reminded that the deadline for an iFollow match pass for our home clash with Nottingham Forest is 3.00pm today.

As this fixture is being televised by Sky Sports, there is no regular iFollow coverage and the process is different to previous home games.

2020/21 Season Ticket holders have until 3.00pm on Friday to apply for access, which is earlier than usual for the iFollow pass deadline.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media companies must do more to stop online abuse, which is why this weekend we are coming together with English football and other sports and organisations to boycott social media and demand change.

The Owls will join football and the wider sporting world in switching off our social media accounts from 3.00pm on Friday 30 April through to 11.59pm on Monday 3 May.

MEGASTORE

The Owls Megastore will be closed but the Owls Meadowhall Store will be open from 9.00am to 8.00pm

TEAM NEWS

Owls: Tom Lees (ankle ligaments) is ruled out for the remaining two games of our 2020/21 campaign.

The defender picked up the season-ending injury last weekend away at Middlesbrough.

Defensive duo Chey Dunkley and Joost van Aken are in the frame to feature against Forest.

Massimo Luongo is back in training but unlikely to be involved as soon as the weekend given his lengthy absence from first team action.

Forest: The visitors will be without Sheffield United loanee Luke Freeman after he hobbled off with a knee injury against Stoke last time out.

Sammy Ameobi and Samba Sow are also ruled out.

FORM GUIDE

Owls: LLDWL
Forest: WDLDD

LAST FIVE v Forest

Forest 2-0 Owls – 15 December 2020 - Championship
Owls 1-1 Forest – 20 June 2020 – Championship
Forest 0-4 Owls – 14 December 2019 – Championship
Owls 3-0 Forest – 9 April 2019 – Championship
Forest 2-1 Owls – 19 September 2018 – Championship

Match Reports

Report: Wednesday 0-0 Nottingham Forest

1 May 2021

The Owls’ Championship status is hanging by a thread following a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough.

Wednesday remain heavily reliant on results elsewhere, whilst nothing but a win at Derby next Saturday would suffice even if those results are favourable.

They have Keiren Westwood to thank for the prospect of a Pride Park shootout as the Irishman saved a Lewis Grabban penalty to hand his side a lifeline.

But the hosts could not capitalise and completed the final home game of the season with next term’s status still not determined.

Possession was relatively even in the early throes, with any real openings at a premium.

Kadeem Harris fashioned one chance for himself around the 15-minute mark but shot straight into the midriff of Brice Samba.

Almost all of the play unfolded in the middle third of the pitch and for all the probing by both teams there was no end product to speak of.

Forest had to wait until the cusp of half time to create, when Filip Krovinovic ghosted in at the far post to plant a Cafu cross wide, before the Midlanders missed a golden chance to take the lead.

Westwood was adjudged to have brought down Anthony Knockaert just inside the box and the horizon looked bleak for Wednesday as Grabban stepped up.

But Westwood atoned in superb fashion to spring across his goal and turn Grabban’s penalty wide, which proved the only talking point of a tepid first half.

Despite that setback, Forest began brightly after the break and Grabban, himself looking to make amends, slotted wide from a tight angle.

The Owls crept back into the contest and Harris had a fierce effort charged down by Joe Worrall before substitute Jordan Rhodes aimed a header straight into the grateful arms of Samba.

Josh Windass delivered a hanging ball that was inches too high for Rhodes, who couldn’t get the right purchase on his header that fell the wrong side of the post.

But Windass certainly did on 72 minutes when a stunning Samba save denied Wednesday the crucial breakthrough, diving low at his near post to somehow divert over the bar.

James Garner turned to screw off target with the goal gaping in the closing stages before Jordan Rhodes and Adam Reach missed half chances that at the other end.

And that was about as good as it got for the Owls, who endured another afternoon of frustration and must now rely on both Rotherham and Derby dropping points to take their basement battle to the last.

Wednesday: Westwood, Paterson, Palmer, Hutchinson, Börner, Pelupessy, Bannan, Reach, Harris, Green (Rhodes 56), Windass