Sheffield Wednesday are running out of time to achieve one of Henrik Pedersen's main targets
All of a sudden, just eight games stand between Sheffield Wednesday and the finish line at the end of what has been a season from hell.
Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Ipswich Town at Hillsborough saw Wednesday suffer their 28th Championship defeat of the season, meaning normal service was resumed after finally bringing an end to their 14-match losing run in league and cup against Watford last Tuesday evening, drawing 1-1.
To Wednesday’s credit, they made life uncomfortable one of the division’s big hitters. Ipswich were frustrated for 78 minutes until substitute Iván Azón, moments after spurning a great opportunity to give the visitors the lead, connected with Ben Johnson’s cross from the left and stroked an effort past Pierce Charles.
Jack Clarke then doubled Ipswich’s lead five minutes later, scoring from the penalty spot, to seal what turned out to be a routine victory for the promotion-chasing Tractor Boys, who capitalised on promotion rivals Coventry City, Middlesbrough and Millwall all slipping up.
In the Owls’ defence, few of a Wednesday persuasion would have expected them to have taken anything from the clash with Kieran McKenna’s side just four days after pouring their heart and soul into the clash with Watford that so nearly saw them end their long wait for a victory.
Jerry Yates’ header looked as though it would be enough to seal Wednesday their first win since September, but Watford substitute Vivaldo Semedo, who denied the Owls maximum points right at the death at Vicarage Road back in December, haunted Henrik Pedersen’s team once again, but this time with a goal that should not have stood.
Had things turned out differently against Edward Still’s side, Wednesday would have secured their first home win of the season. Instead, that draw, alongside Saturday’s defeat to Ipswich, means the Owls now find themselves on the longest winless run at home (21 games) ever recorded in English league history.
Having failed to win their final home game of last season, drawing 1-1 with Portsmouth, and failing to register a win in their first 20 league outings at Hillsborough this term, Wednesday, unfortunately, have surpassed Sunderland’s record of 20 home league games without a win, an unwanted record they set back in 2017.
With just eight games remaining at the end of a season no Wednesdayite will ever want to experience again, the Owls have just three home games left, facing Leicester City, Charlton Athletic and West Bromwich Albion on the other side of the upcoming international break.
Even if Wednesday, by some miracle, were to win each of their final eight games, it is not going to change the outcome of their season. They are already relegated and they know they are going to finish bottom of the pile.
At this stage, they have nothing but pride to play for. Recent performances have shown Wednesday are refusing to let their heads drop, pushing Derby County and Ipswich every step of the way either side of the point they earned against Watford with arguably their best performance at Hillsborough all season.
Following their 3-1 defeat to Southampton in S6 at the very end of February, Owls boss Pedersen, who has conducted himself superbly throughout what has been a turbulent time for the club, stressed how determined he is to oversee at least one home win before the end of the campaign.
He said: “We have some clear things. We want to have the first home win. We want to have as many points as possible.
“We want to come on plus [points] and we have to give our fans as many good performances as possible until the end of the season.”
Since issuing those pleas, Wednesday’s performances, albeit from a low base, have improved. However, they are now winless in their last 33 matches in all competitions and are without a win at Hillsborough in almost a year.
Unless it is changed for broadcast purposes, Wednesday’s clash with Charlton Athletic on April 18 will mark their final 3pm kick-off at home on a Saturday this season. Wednesday have not treated their fans to a home win at 3pm on a Saturday since beating West Bromwich Albion 3-0 to all but seal Championship safety on April 27, 2024.
But regardless of whether the home win they crave so much comes against Leicester on Easter Monday, against Charlton or at 12.30pm on the final day of the season against West Brom, time is running out for Wednesday, who secured their last home win on Easter Monday last year, beating Middlesbrough 2-1, to avoid the prospect of going a full season without a victory at Hillsborough.
Throughout the pain, the misery and the uncertainty this season has generated, one thing has remained constant: the fans. They were exceptional once again at Hillsborough on Saturday, making plenty of noise.
The commitment and dedication they have shown this season, as Pedersen has acknowledged himself several times, deserves to be rewarded with something to celebrate.
A home win is the very least they deserve.