Sheffield Wednesday made the short trip across the city to Bramall Lane this afternoon for the first Steel City derby in five years, and we’ve got the lowdown on how all the Owls players performed.
Both teams went into the hotly-anticipated derby with wins in their previous games, and hopes across across both sets of fans that a famous victory over their fierce rivals could be recorded.
Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl opted for an unchanged lineup from the win over Norwich in midweek. Meanwhile, Sheffield United were without the injured Keiffer Moore in attack.
A heated first-half at Bramall Lane saw the sides go in level at 0-0, with plenty of big tackles but no shots on target for either team. That was largely down to Wednesday’s gameplan of restricting the Blades being executed perfectly for the first 45.
The home side came out flying after the interval, though, and were ahead thanks to a well-worked Tyrese Campbell goal on the 50-minute mark.
That goal killed Wednesday’s impetus somewhat, and the Blades managed to see out the rest of the game with a professional and composed performance limited the away team to half-chances and long balls.
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Sheffield Wednesday player ratings vs Sheffield United
James Beadle – 4
Good command of the area from set-pieces, but should have done better for the goal, flapping at Campbell’s finish. Beadle’s distribution was rather disappointing, too.
Yan Valery – 6
Put himself about, offered a little bit of an outlet down the wing, but was pressed back in the second-half and struggled to make an impact. Has to work on his ball delivery into the box.
Dominic Iorfa – 7
Good block from an O’Hare shot in the box in the first-half. Made a nice burst forward leading to Burrows picking up the first yellow. Had a couple of chances from corners later in the game but couldn’t manage to steer the ball goalward.
Di’Shon Bernard – 6
Big block early in the second-half. Remained calm at the back in the face of pressure from the Blades.
Max Lowe – 4
Solid, composed play at the back, but lost his head a little after United’s opener. Will be disappointed with his performance against his former side.
Marvin Johnson – 7
Enjoyed a brilliant battle with Alfie Gilchrist, and came out on top in the first-half, leading to the Chelsea loanee coming off. However, appeared to be nursing an injury, and had to leave the game early in the second-half.
Shea Charles – 7
Looked really calm in the middle of the park. Charles was the main driving force behind Wednesday’s turnover of possession and their spirited efforts in getting back in the game.
Barry Bannan – 4
Put in a pretty rough challenge on Harrison Burrows leading to a yellow card. In truth, that is all Bannan’s latest derby day will be remembered for, and he’ll wish he was able to dictate the flow of the game more.
Svante Ingelsson – 6
Really hard-working display again from the Swede, but was unable to really influence the game as he did in midweek. Replaced after an hour.
Josh Windass – 7
Heavily involved in the first-half, with a couple of decent chances, but more importantly, impressive work in the press from the front. Worked hard in the second-half to try and carve out opportunities for his team.
Ike Ugbo – 5
Still not offering enough in attacking areas. Some half-decent hold-up play at times, but nothing like the kind of influence you’d want from your central striker.
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How we rated the Sheffield Wednesday substitutes vs the Blades
Michael Smith – 7
On for Marvin Johnson on the hour-mark. Heavily involved with some nice link-up play, and a clever flick to create a chance for Musaba.
Djeidi Gassama – 7
On for Svante Ingelsson with 30 minutes of normal time to go. Took the game to United, carrying the ball, trying to beat his man.
Anthony Musaba – 7
Replaced Ugbo with just over 15 minutes remaining. Immediately lifted the crowd with a mazy run but found his path to goal blocked.
Pol Valentin – 6
Brought on for Valery with roughly ten minutes to go. Little time to make any real impact, spent most of his time defending rather than pushing forward.
Jamal Lowe – 5
Replaced Josh Windass for the final ten minutes. Didn’t get a chance to affect the game, with United pressing Wednesday back in the final moments and restricting the Owls’ attacking play.