Sheffield Wednesday penalty taker process explained after Charlie McNeill miss - red card confusion
Sheffield Wednesday’s process of selecting a penalty taker has been explained by boss Henrik Pedersen - who expressed a degree of confusion over a decision that saw Preston North End finish Saturday’s 3-2 Hillsborough win with 11 men.
A magnificent Owls first half put Wednesday in the driving seat with two goals scored by youngster Charlie McNeill. The former Manchester United academy man played with huge confidence and set his side into a deserved 2-1 lead at half-time. At 2-2, McNeill saw a penalty saved by Daniel Iversen and looked inconsolable a minute later when Mads Frøkjær-Jensen raced to the other end to earn North End the win.
Wednesday dominated the match stats, leading on just about every meaningful metric in what was the decimated squad’s third match in six days. Speaking after the match Pedersen expressed pride in many phases of his side’s effort, but huge frustration in the result - and two ugly conceded goals from set pieces.
The moments before McNeill’s penalty seemed to see some on-field discussion as to who would take it. The Owls lost recognised penalty takers in Michael Smith and Josh Windass over the summer and Pedersen explained that there is no set-in-stone spot-kick taker; rather a list from which it is decided on-field who is best placed to take it on.
With two goals under his belt, a fine performance under his belt and confidence high, the decision was made to give McNeill the honours.
“I think we have three players on the list and we have to find out who is the best,” Pedersen said. “I am sure it was not because Charlie has to make a hat-trick that he should take it, I am sure Charlie was the guy who had the confidence to do it - it was not an ego thing that now I have to make a hat-trick, it was a power thing that I want to win this game for Sheffield Wednesday.”
The Owls were awarded a penalty thanks to Odeluga Offiah’s handball, which appeared to see him move his hand to divert the ball out of reach of an onrushing Wednesday player. Offiah had early been shown a yellow card and asked whether he should have been sent off, Pedersen said: “I don’t know all the rules, but I thought when you stop the ball with your hand to stop the chance for a goal..”