Sheffield Wednesday must prove old habits have died as Port Vale look set to target old Achilles heel

No League One side was more harshly punished by an inability to defend set pieces last season as the Owls came up short in their attempt to secure a return to the Championship at the first attempt, with some 38% of their conceded goals coming in that fashion.

Though there was a focus on the number of goals Wednesday conceded from out wide in the early stages of the current campaign, Owls boss Darren Moore went to lengths to explain the technical distinction between those and set piece goals.

And a summer rebuild in the Wednesday defensive ranks seems to have aided their ability to defend set pieces, with only two shipped this season so far.

But it may well be that that record is put under strain this weekend as they make the trip to Port Vale.

Exactly half of Vale’s 10 league goals this season have come via set pieces, making it a possible focus of how they may go about the weekend’s clash.

Forward Ellis Harrison, brought in on an undisclosed fee from Fleetwood Town in August, has scored five in eight this season and is the man Wednesday will most want to stamp out when it comes to goal threat at Vale Park.

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A former Portsmouth man, Harrison stands at 5’11” but has launched himself into more aerial duels (153) than any other player in League One and could cause problems for Wednesday to deal with in the air.