Owls (0) 0 Coventry (0) 0

Att 23,???

Wednesday: 
Pressman; Nilsson, Walker(c), Pearce, Worthington; Waddle, Hyde, Jones, 
Sinton; Jemson (Francis 66), Palmer;  subs: Key, Poric

On a cold saturday afternoon we managed to lose the toss yet again, so kicked
towards the Kop in the first half.  I've never known us lose the toss so
often before.  Things started brightly and really we should've been a goal
up inside the first minute.  Sinton played the ball over from the left and
the Coventry defender slipped leaving Jemson at the far post unmarked with
a free shot at goal.  He controlled the ball well and shot - it went out of 
play in between the goal and the corner flag - he should have hit the target 
at least.

There were a few corners in the opening ten minutes but then the tone for the
rest of the match was set.  Palmer was playing up front with Jemson, and
making his first league outing since the Ipswich game last March was Trevor
Francis on the bench (who incidentally was wearing No. 26).  Palmer never 
really looked settled up front, but Jemson was having another OK game, chasing
down well and generally putting the hard work in.

After the opening ten minutes the play was pretty dire for the rest of the
match.  Nilsson was playing, but only under duress - how long he'll stay is
anyone's guess.  I heard Francis on Radio Hallam before the game saying the
club knew about the current situation 4 weeks ago and have been looking at
right backs since then.  It seems that Roland could leave any day, not sure
about his playing contract though.  Gary Stevens is one player linked with
the club (not really one for the future though !!!).  Back to the game.

The miss of the first half was Coventry's.  Quinn got the ball in the centre
and rose unmarked to head the ball against the bar with Pressman well beaten.  
Quinn certainly isn't the thinnest of players!  Ndlovu was the pick of the 
Coventry players and none of the Wednesday players were really doing anything
special.  Palmer was caught offside on numerous occasions, and Pearce got a
lot of stick from the travelling Coventry fans, not least when he upended
Ndlovu and got booked for it.

Half time came and went and back to the "action".  Wednesday were awarded
a free kick on the right of the Coventry box just outside the area.  Waddle
took it and was only a few inches over the top of the Keeper's left hand top
corner, the best Wednesday chance so far.  Coventry nearly took the lead from 
a mistake by Nilsson midway through the second half.  He lost the ball under 
no real pressure on the edge of the box by the dead ball line. Williams 
disposseded him and crossed the ball along the floor with Quinn waiting in the 
middle, an open goal yawning.  Somehow he managed to play the  ball onto the 
ground and onto his hand and it was scrambled clear.  Astonishingly the 
referee then gave Coventry a corner rather than the free kick for the 
hand-ball.  If the ball had gone in I imagine he would've given the goal.

On 66 minutes Trevor came on and Jemson went off, shaking his head as he
hadn't done much wrong and 25 minutes is a long time to play for a 40 year
old.  Almost immediately Waddle got the ball and started down the left.  He
played a long ball for Trev to chase, and as he and the defender challenged
for the ball in the box Trev went sprawling to the ground and the ball went
out of play for a goal kick.  Coventry then nearly scored when they played
a long ball forward and Williams was racing onto it with Walker by his side
and Pressman came rushing out as well.  Walker managed to hook the ball away 
for a corner as Pressman was out of his area and really shouldn't have come
for the ball.

In the last five minutes Wednesday got another free kick on the edge of the
Coventry box in a similar position to before and the same man stepped up to
take it, Waddle.  This time he aimed for the other post, and the ball whizzed
past the post.  From the Kop you couldn't really tell how close it was but
I think it was about an inch away from going in.  Like the free kick against
Leeds really (but not going in).

All in all a pretty dire performance and not what was needed on a cold day.
We deparately need a pacy strike force, but Hirst won't be back until
gone Christmas :-(.  Nilsson dosen't seem to really want to play, but being 
the pro that he is says he will if picked.  Williams breaking his leg hasn't
helped - I've heard that it's quite a bad break as well. 

Pressman had a dodgy game but with Woods still injured (he aggravated his
groin injury playing for the reserves against Bolton earlier in the month)
he should be there for Wednesday night.  This is the first time since 
August that we've failed to score, but at least we kept a clean sheet.