Blues host poor travellers Sheffield Wednesday

Wycombe Wanderers entertain Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday in their 16th league game of the season.

The league table currently shows Wycombe in 23rd place with 12 points and Wednesday in 3rd spot with 29 points, both sides having played 15 games.

Wednesday's Away Record..W 2 - D 2 - L 4 - Pts 8...Ppg 1.00 (Rank-18)

Wycombe's Home Record....W 1 - D 2 - L 4 - Pts 5...Ppg 0.71 (Rank-23)


The Owls are third in the table thanks to their 100% home record of seven wins from seven games.

On the road it's a different story and only six teams have a worse record in league one.

Away from Hillsborough, they've won only twice and have lost league games at Bournemouth, Bury, Stevenage and Carlisle.

Their 5-1 defeat at newly promoted Stevenage was particularly shocking as Boro are hardly renowned for their attacking flair.

The Owls also lost at League Two strugglers Bradford City in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and were knocked out of the Carling Cup at Blackburn Rovers.

Their eleven-goal striker Gary Madine was sent off against Carlisle on Tuesday and is suspended for Saturday's game. Wednesday's next highest goalscorer has only found the net three times this season.

So, if you look at the facts and forget the big name, there's nothing to fear and this is a highly winnable game for the Blues.

Kevin Betsy, Martin Rowlands and Scott Donnelly were the only significant absentees from Tuesday's flat defeat at home to Charlton.

Rowlands was struggling with a hamstring, Donnelly was reportedly 'ill', and Betsy appears to be out of favour with manager Gary Waddock. Of the three, only Donnelly looks certain to be in contention on Saturday.

What Betsy's done to deserve the cold shoulder is a mystery, but one look at the league table tells you that Wycombe can ill afford to ignore a talented and experienced asset who loves the club and still has plenty to offer at this level.


Here are some stats......


Sheffield Wed's last five games (All Competitions)


Lg1: Hartlepool... (A)..........Won 1-0

Lg1: Chesterfield (H)..........Won 3-1

Lg1: Sheffield Utd (A)........Drew 2-2

Lg1: Colchester (H)............Won 2-0

Lg1: Carlisle (A).................Lost 2-3



Wycombe's last five games (All Competitions)

JPT: Cheltenham (H)............Lost 1-3

Lg1: Walsall (H).................Drew 1-1

Lg1: Hartlepool (A)..............Won 3-1

Lg1: Oldham (A)..................Lost 0-2

Lg1: Charlton (H).................Lost 1-2



Sheffield Wed Goal Stats (18 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total).........Lg: 29...Cups: 1...Total: 30

Goals Conceded (Total).....Lg: 22...Cups: 3...Total: 25

Goals Scored (Away)........Lg: 11...Cups: 1...Total: 12

Goals Conceded (Away)....Lg: 17...Cups: 3...Total: 20

Clean Sheets....................Lg: 4....Cups: 2....Total: 6



Wycombe Goal Stats (19 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total)..........Lg: 15...Cups: 8.....Total: 23

Goals Conceded (Total)......Lg: 24...Cups: 11...Total: 35

Goals Scored (Home).........Lg: 7.....Cups: 8.....Total: 15

Goals Conceded (Home).....Lg: 11...Cups: 11...Total: 22

Clean Sheets.....................Lg: 1.....Cups: 0.....Total: 1



Sheffield Wed's Top Goal Scorers - (All Competitions)

Gary Madine...............11 (inc 1 pen)

Rob Jones....................3

Ben Marshall................3

Clinton Morrison...........2

Julian Bennett..............2

Reda Johnson..............2

Seven other players have each scored 1 goal.



Wycombe's Top Goal Scorers - (All Competitions)

Stuart Beavon...........8

Scott Donnelly...........5 (inc 2 pens)

Joel Grant.................2

Ben Strevens............2

Five other players have each scored 1 goal.



Sheffield Wed Shooting (Top-3) - All Competitions

Gary Madine..........24 on-target...12 off-target...2 against woodwork

Ben Marshall..........13 on-target...16 off-target...1 against woodwork

Chris Lines..............7 on-target.....5 off-target...1 against woodwork



Wycombe Shooting (Top-3) - All Competitions

Scott Donnelly.........13 on-target...11 off-target...0 against woodwork

Stuart Beavon.........20 on-target.....3 off-target...0 against woodwork

Joel Grant.................9 on-target...10 off-target...0 against woodwork



Shooting (Club) - League Games Only

Wednesday.....75 on target...78 off target...6 against w'work (Rank-15)

Wycombe........57 on target...72 off target...3 against w'work (Rank-22)



Most Assists

Wednesday - Ben Marshall.....5

Wycombe - Andy Sandell.......3



League Form Guide

All Season

Wednesday..Pld: 15...W: 9...D: 2...L: 4...Pts: 29...Pts per game: 1.93

Wycombe.....Pld: 15...W: 3...D: 3...L: 9...Pts: 12...Pts per game: 0.80



Last Five league Games

Wednesday...WWDWL - 10 points (Rank-5)

Wycombe..........LDWLL - 4 points (Rank-19)



Last Five League Games (Away)

Wednesday.....LWWDL - 7 points (Rank-11)



Last Five League Games (Home)

Wycombe.........LWLDL - 4 points (Rank-21)



Against Top Half Opposition

Wednesday...Pld: 6...Pts: 11...Pts per game: 1.83...(Rank-3)

Wycombe......Pld: 8...Pts: 6.....Pts per game: 0.75...(Rank-15)



Against Bottom Half Opposition

Wednesday...Pld: 9...Pts: 18...Pts per game: 2.00...(Rank-10)

Wycombe......Pld: 7...Pts: 6.....Pts per game: 0.86...(Rank-24)



Previous Meetings

In 2 previous meetings there's been 1 draw and 1 win for Wednesday.

2003/04 Lg1: Wycombe 1 Sheffield Wed 2

2003/04 Lg1: Sheffield Wed 1 Wycombe 1



The Man In The Middle

Saturday's referee is Chris Sarginson from Staffordshire who was promoted to the National List of Referees in 2008. His last Wycombe game was a 2-2 draw with Lincoln City at Adams Park in October 2010. So far this season he's issued 1 red and 24 yellow cards in 10 games.



Prediction

Wycombe 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1

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