Owls Claim Spoils In Six Pointer - Sheffield Wednesday vs. Blackburn Rovers

View from the bar

This weekend I was visiting friends in Sheffield and so I took the opportunity to visit Hillsborough for the relegation six pointer between Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn Rovers. Blackburn's problems this season have been well documented and were on an alarming run of results which had seen them slide down the league table. Wednesday have had an indifferent return to The Championship following promotion last season but 4 points from the last two games had given them renewed confidence. On a personal level, I was disappointed that Michael Antonio was to play no part in the game as I'd seen him start out at Tooting and Mitcham and it would have been good to see him at a higher level.  

The South Stand

Wednesday are on top at the start but are pegged pack when Chris Kirkland gives away a needless penalty and Blackburn's top scorer Jordan Rhodes slots home. Wednesday get the equaliser ten minutes when Jermaine Johnson beats a couple of players and smashes a low shot past the keeper. Wednesday take the lead with a penalty of their own when the Wednesday player is fouled at the back post and it is Leroy Lita who dispatches the spot kick.

The North Stand

Blackburn dominate the start of the second half as Wednesday sit back and it looks at times as if Wednesday are happy with 2-1. Rovers come close a couple times and the inevitable equaliser comes from a Scott Dann header at the back post. This looks to have rattled the hosts but it Johnson who pops up with a cracker to win the game. He picks the ball up in midfield, rides a couple of chances and beats the keeper with another low shot. This knocks the stuffing out of the visitors and Wednesday hold on to win a vital three points.

The West Stand which houses the away fans

Sheffield Station is at least two miles away from Hillsborough and the easiest way to get there is the tram and the Leppings Lane stop is a two minute walk away from the ground. There are a number of pubs close to the ground but the best pubs in Sheffield are on Kelham Island which is a short taxi ride or thirty minute walk away. We went to The Gardeners Rest but The Kelham Island Tavern and The Fat Cat are also phenomenal pubs. Beer was available in the Spion Kop and I should imagine it'd be on sale in other parts of the ground.

The programme was a fairly standard football league effort with the usual player interviews and reports on previous matches. As you'd expect from a club which such a history, there are a few interesting articles about past players etc but the best one for me was the article detailing events regarding a specific score line. 

The extremly vocal fans of the Spion Kop