Owls Fans' Column: Sheffield Wednesday have to win at Hillsborough

It cannot be overstated just how big the match tonight against Brighton and Hove Albion is. Despite the obvious and understandable nerves, I haven't been this confident in a Sheffield Wednesday side in a very, very'¦very long time.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th May 2016, 09:11 BST
Updated 13th May 2016, 09:16 BST
Gary Hooper and Fernando ForestieriGary Hooper and Fernando Forestieri
Gary Hooper and Fernando Forestieri

I’m not even concerned that it’s Friday the 13th. The Owls have had enough bad luck (and suffered enough bad decisions) to last a lifetime. It’s time to revel in the positives.

We all know that we have to win the home leg and by a comfortable margin. The stats back that up. We’ve secured 64% of this season’s points at home with 13 wins compared to only six away from home.

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Between our top scorers, Fernando Forestieri and Gary Hooper, they have scored 28 goals and 19 of these were scored at Hillsborough. In total we’ve scored 42 goals at home and only 24 away. There will be goals in this match.

Wednesday’s defence will have to cope with Brighton’s top scorer Tomer Hemed but we have again achieved 17 clean sheets this season, one short of the all time club record. We’ve conceded 28 goals away but only 17 at home.

The evidence is there, we have to win at Hillsborough.

Although Brighton finished 15 points ahead of us, we have the perfect opportunity to make it an uphill battle for The Seagulls as they have defender Lewis Dunk suspended for this game and influential midfielder Dale Stephens banned for the whole Play-Off contest after his shin gouging tackle on Middlesbrough’s Gaston Ramirez.

I was so excited about the positives this week I contemplated just copying and pasting the lyrics to Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now and submitting it for this column. If we do really well, next week I might just send in the words to We Are The Champions.