Steel City derby build-up: End goal more important for Sheffield Wednesday, says Lees

When Chris O’Grady netted the winner in 2012, few inside Hillsborough would have imagined it would be five long years before another all-Sheffield clash.

That League One game on February 26, 2012 proved a key turning point for both clubs, the Owls overhauling United to clinch automatic promotion.

History, of course, shows the Blades missed out in the play-offs to Huddersfield Town, and subsequently spent the next five years battling to reach the Championship.

So when promotion was finally confirmed last season – under boyhood fan Chris Wilder – attention quickly turned to the return of the Sheffield derbies.

Sunday sees United travel to Hillsborough for a lunchtime kick-off, with both sides of the city having enjoyed a good start to the campaign.

Indeed, the sixth-placed Blades could have topped the Championship with victory over Norwich City last weekend, with the Owls three places – and two points – behind in ninth.

But Lees, who will experience his first Steel City derby, having sampled many Yorkshire derbies at Wednesday and Leeds United, knows Sunday is a unique game.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “It is all people have been talking about ever since the end of last season. It is one of those games where the league table is forgotten about for 90 minutes.

“I don’t think we can get caught up in it too much because we have the important end goal.

“It will be an important three points for us to add to our total and what we want to achieve.

“I know it will be a big game and it is win at all costs but we have to look at it as, hopefully, contributing to the bigger goal.”

That ‘bigger goal’ is promotion this season, after twice coming up short in the play-offs.

Both times the Owls have lost out to Yorkshire rivals – first to Hull City, then to Huddersfield Town in May – and have had to watch on as the victors enjoyed Premier League football.

Sunday is the fourth game in a run of six games in 22 days, which Wednesday have targeted as a key set of fixtures.

Only a stoppage-time equaliser at Cardiff City on Saturday prevented the Owls from collecting three successive wins, after beating Nottingham Forest and Brentford.

Another seven points from the next three games – after the Blades, Wednesday have a trip to Birmingham City before hosting Leeds United – would put them in good health heading into October.

“It’s an important period,” acknowledged Lees. “We have got some big games. We have some for local pride and games that haven’t been played in a long time.

“It (Sunday) will be a big occasion. But, at the end of the day, those games are three points towards the total.

“Teams are going to go through tough fixtures and blips.

“Everyone will have their moment so it is about trying to remain consistent throughout.”