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Wednesday running out of time to reach play-offs
Preston North End v Sheffield Wednesday Championship BRIAN LAWS says it is now 'highly unlikely' that Sheffield Wednesday will be involved in the Championship play-offs.
The Owls are eight points behind sixth-placed Preston North End ahead of tonight's trip to Deepdale but are 12th in the table and only have nine games to play.
Back-to-back defeats against Reading and Wolves have put the brakes on a late promotion assault but the club is still firmly on course to beat last season's 16th place finish.
Manager Laws said: "We have been trying our hardest to keep hold of the shirt-tails of the play-offs but, with every game that goes by without a win, it becomes a more and more difficult task.
"Mathematically, it is still possible but I think we would have to win seven or eight of our last nine games to achieve it. That's realism.
"It can be achieved but it is now highly unlikely," he admitted. "We will set our goals high to try and win every game we can but the most important thing is we show improvement from last year. That was our objective at the start of the season and that will show that we are going in the right direction."
With striker Leon Clarke ruled out by a hamstring injury and Akpo Sodje still not fit enough to start games, Francis Jeffers looks set to return to the side tonight alongside Marcus Tudgay in attack.
On-loan midfielder Darren Potter will also return to the side after being ineligible for the weekend defeat against his parent club Wolves.
Defender Richard Wood echoed Laws's verdict saying the Owls cannot afford to lose another game this season.
The Owls, meanwhile, stayed silent yesterday after former chairman Dave Allen raised doubts over the club's proposed takeover deal.
Allen, who still owns a 10 per cent stake in the club, says he will not sell to new chairman Lee Strafford until he is offered full repayment of a 2m-plus loan.
Strafford was set a deadline of March 31 to secure new investment and, if the takeover is to progress on schedule, an Extraordinary General Meeting of shareholders will need to be called today. Allen, who has held two meetings with Strafford, does not believe the funding is in place to complete the deal.
Last six games: Preston DWLWLL, Owls LLWWLL
Last time: Preston 1 Owls 0, September 15, 2007, Championship.
Referee: AM Penn (West Midlands).
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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