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Sheffield Wednesday logo
Championship
Apr 26, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
Bolton logo

1-3

Mattock (38')
FT(HT: 1-3)
Danns (8'), Chung-Yong (19'), Trotter (29')

Preview: Sheffield Wednesday vs. Bolton Wanderers

Sports Mole looks ahead to Saturday's Championship encounter between Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton at Hillsborough.

Saturday's match between Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton Wanderers could well have an end-of-season feel to it, with just a slightly improved league position to play for at Hillsborough.

One place and two points separate the sides in the Championship table as things stand, and the Owls would leapfrog the Trotters into 14th place with a victory.

It is a position both sides will be happy with having come under the threat of relegation at different points in the season, but they will still want to finish the campaign strongly to raise optimism for next year.

Stuart Gray has done a remarkable job in dragging Wednesday to safety since taking over, but 17 goals conceded in their last six matches will concern him.

No fewer than 10 of those goals have come at Hillsborough, where Wednesday are now without a win in three having squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to struggling Charlton Athletic on Easter Monday.

Sam Hutchinson missed that match due to suspension, and he is once again absent this weekend along with long-term absentees Rafael Floro and Anthony Gardner. Glenn Loovens could be named in the squad for the first time in a month, however.

Bolton, meanwhile, achieved safety with a run of just one defeat in 13 matches over the last two months and even managed to push champions elect Leicester City close on Easter Monday.

Goals have dried up somewhat in the latter half of that run, with just eight coming in their last 10 games, but they have conceded just six in the same spell, with five clean sheets.

Mathematically, a top-half finish is still a possibility for Dougie Freedman's side, but they are likely to be content with their current position after a season of struggles.

The Trotters have been impressive away from home this season, picking up just one point fewer on the road than they have managed at the Reebok. Indeed, they are unbeaten in their last seven away games, a run that stretches back to the start of February.

Stuart Holden and Marc Tierney remain out for the visitors, while Mark Davies is an injury doubt and Chris Eagles will not be involved.

Recent form

Sheff Weds: LLDDWL

Bolton: DWWWDL

Possible starting lineups

Sheff Weds: Kirkland; Buxton, Llera, Onyewu, Helan; Maguire, Palmer, Lee, Coke, Antonio; Nuhiu

Bolton: Bogdan; Knight, Mills, Wheater, Ream; Spearing, Trotter; Jutkiewicz, Chung-Yong, Danns; Beckford

Sports Mole says: 1-1


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A general view of Sheffield Wednesday's ground Hillsborough.
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sunderland1594225111431
2Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd1510321971231
3Leeds UnitedLeeds158522491529
4Burnley157621861227
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom15672169725
6Watford158162322125
7Middlesbrough157352317624
8Millwall156541813523
9Blackburn RoversBlackburn156451917222
10Bristol City155732019122
11Swansea CitySwansea155461110119
12Derby CountyDerby155461919019
13Stoke CityStoke155461819-119
14Norwich CityNorwich154652322118
15Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds155371725-818
16Oxford UnitedOxford Utd154561718-117
17Coventry CityCoventry154472021-116
18Plymouth ArgylePlymouth154471526-1116
19Hull City153661620-415
20Preston North EndPreston153661523-815
21Luton TownLuton154381726-915
22Cardiff CityCardiff154381423-915
23Portsmouth152671628-1212
24Queens Park RangersQPR151771225-1310


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