Sheffield Wednesday are about to face their toughest League One test so far
Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping to tighten their grip on top spot in League One when they host Stockport County on Saturday afternoon.
Sheffield Wednesday and Stockport County will go head-to-head in a league fixture for the first time in 21 years when they meet at Hillsborough on Saturday afternoon.
The last time they met with points at stake, Wednesday were looking to sneak into the League One play-off places, while Stockport were already preparing for life in League Two after having long since been relegated.
It was April 2005, and Wednesday’s penultimate home game of the regular season saw Paul Sturrock’s men held to a 0-0 draw by rock-bottom County, who were propping up the division with just 25 points from 43 games.
Since their last league meeting, Stockport have spent 11 seasons in non-league football, with six of those coming in the National League North. But just over four years after ending their 11-year absence from the Football League, the Edgeley Park outfit are chasing the same goal as Wednesday this season: promotion to the Championship.
Despite losing boss Dave Challinor and chief executive Simon Wilson, who is now sporting director at Hillsborough, following the end of last season, the departures of two such influential figures in the Hatters’ recent success have not impacted their start to this campaign. They are currently eighth in the table, one point outside the play-offs, after winning three and losing three of their first six matches.
Now under the stewardship of Jimmy McNulty, who guided Rochdale back to the Football League last season, the Hatters have made an impressive start to the season, playing a brand of football that has already been too hot for the likes of Plymouth Argyle, Wycombe Wanderers and Wigan Athletic to handle.
McNulty’s men are the leading goalscorers in League One so far this season, having scored 16 goals in their opening six matches and netting three or more on four occasions. They scored three against Leicester City last weekend, but their defence was breached four times, meaning they lost by the odd goal in seven.
Despite being beaten by Russell Martin’s side, Stockport were the better side for long spells of the contest, registering 19 shots and an xG (expected goals) tally of 2.29. After fighting back from 4-1 down to make it 4-3, Stockport applied plenty of pressure that, on another day, would have seen them take at least a point.
Alongside scoring 16 league goals so far this season, Stockport have registered a non-penalty xG of 12.12, meaning the quality of the chances they have created has been the best in League One. Wednesday have registered the third-best non-penalty xG of 11.65 so far.
Accounting for Jamal Lowe’s well-taken penalties in the victories over Leyton Orient and Wycombe Wanderers, Wednesday have recorded the highest xG tally in the league (13.23). Stockport are yet to be awarded a penalty this season, meaning their xG ranks as the division’s highest without penalties being a factor, while their xG of 3.45 from set pieces is the third-highest in League One this term.
Having scored 29 goals between them in their opening six matches, Saturday’s contest at Hillsborough has all the ingredients to be an entertaining encounter. Both sides have kept just one clean sheet so far, meaning we could be treated to a goal-filled affair.
Following last weekend’s 0-0 draw with Wigan, despite it being enough to keep Wednesday at the League One summit, there will be an element of pressure on the Owls to turn up the heat after producing a relatively uninspiring second-half display.
Wednesday have mastered the art of winning ugly away from home so far this season, winning each of their first three away games by the odd goal in three. However, they have only won one of their first three S6 outings in the league and have failed to score in two of them.
Stockport, who have been on a continuous rise in recent years, have demonstrated through their style of play and approach under McNulty that they can compete with and score goals against the best in the division. This has been highlighted by their performances against Plymouth and Leicester, who are both expected to compete in the upper echelons of the table this season.
Boasting a nice blend of experience and quality throughout their side, the Hatters can make life difficult for any opponent at this level.
Bradford, who are currently third in the table, beat the Owls last month, digging deep to record a professional 1-0 away win at Hillsborough. However, Stockport, it feels, will offer the sternest test Henrik Pedersen’s side have faced yet amid their attacking style of play.
If anything, it should offer a good indicator of where this team is at ahead of what could potentially be a three-week break from League One action.