Sheffield Wednesday v Chesterfield: Owls 'should have won more'

JOHN SHERIDAN was a Wembley hero for Sheffield Wednesday but now wants to destroy his former club's hopes of reaching another final.

Sheridan spent seven years playing for the Owls and secured a place in club folklore when he scoring the winning goal against Manchester United in the 1991 League Cup final.

Tonight, he returns to Hillsborough as manager of League Two side Chesterfield in the second round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

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Although the competition is nowhere near as prestigious, the venue for the final remains the same.

The Mancunian, 46, is looking forward to the trip down memory lane but has stressed that his eyes are fixed primarily on the present.

"I had the best moments of my footballing career at Sheffield Wednesday," he said. "We only won one trophy but it could have, and should have, been a lot more.

"Scoring the winner in the Rumbelows Cup final was a great moment that will stick with me forever – but that's in the past.

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"My priorities now lie with Chesterfield and I am going back looking to win this game.

"I am pleased Wednesday are in this competition, it is probably the biggest game we could have got.

"We have sold all our tickets and it's a good test for the players. Hopefully, we will give them a hard game."

Before quitting the Owls in 1996, Sheridan made four more trips to Wembley and the club finished third in the Premier League.

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Such halcyon days are now a dim and distant memory at a club playing League One football and battling serious financial problems.

Hope, howevers, lies in the form of Chris Turner – one of Sheridan's former team-mates who is fronting a proposed takeover bid on behalf of Norwegian investors.

Pressure to complete the deal is mounting, however, as the Owls need to find around 780,000 to pay off the taxman before returning to High Court, where they will fight a winding-up order, on November 17.

Negotiations with Turner's group have reached an advanced stage with insiders suggesting a deal could be signed and sealed by the weekend.

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Sheridan said: "I still think Wednesday are automatic to get out of the division – if everything stays right at the club. You look at the players in their squad and they have some quality players.

"They have some of the best fans in the country.

"It was a brilliant club to play for, especially in those times. Unfortunately, they are not really getting back towards those times at the moment – but, in my eyes, they are a massive club with brilliant supporters. It is definitely a Premiership club."

Dave Allen, who quit as Owls chairman three years ago, is now Chesterfield's major shareholder but will not attend the game.

Allen described a section of Wednesday supporters as 'scum and cretins' prior to his departure so his absence will take the heat out of a potentially difficult affair.

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The Owls have not won at Hillsborough since playing Notts County in the first round of the JP Trophy five weeks ago.

Four consecutive defeats put pressure on manager Alan Irvine but things have improved thanks to a draw against Oldham Athletic and another victory, last weekend, over Notts County.

Irvine insisted yesterday that he never feared for his job during that period, largely due to the backing of chairman Howard Wilkinson.

"Did I think my job was on the line? No, I didn't, because of the support that Howard has given me," he said. "But you know it (a losing sequence) can't go on forever – even with that kind of support.

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"It's too early to say whether we are back on even keel," he admitted.

"Last time we played Notts County in the JP Trophy we were terrific and some people said it was the best football they had seen in a long time but football has a habit of pulling the rug from under your feet.

"You can be right up there and suddenly everything can go wrong. I am always wary about not getting carried away.

"We probably need another three or four wins to turn the corner. It's still very delicately balanced and I know how hard the games are going to be."

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Over 12,000 tickets have already been sold for tonight's game guaranteeing the biggest attendance in the competition so far this season.

Winger Jermaine Johnson is available to Irvine for the first time this campaign after recovering from a knee injury and is likely to be on the bench.

Chesterfield's squad includes former Owls striker Drew Talbot and veteran goalkeeper Mark Crossley, a lifelong Wednesday-ite who famously scored for the club during a loan spell four seasons ago.

Last six games: Owls LLLLDW, Chesterfield.

Last time: Owls 2 Chesterfield 2; October 30,2004, League One.

Referee: SJ Tanner (Somerset).

OWL'S LEGEND

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After starting his playing career at Leeds, Sheridan joined Sheffield Wednesday in November 1989 after an ill-fated three-month spell at Nottingham Forest.

During seven seasons at Hillsborough, Sheridan clocked up nearly 250 appearances and scored the winning goal in the 1991 League Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley, above.

Sheridan played 34 times for the Republic of Ireland and was involved in 1990 and 1994 World Cup finals.

He played for Birmingham, Bolton, Doncaster Rovers and Oldham before retiring in 2004, aged 39.

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He moved into management at Oldham – two caretaker spells before a three-year stint at the helm. Latics reached play-off semi-finals in 2006 but he left in March 2009.

Joined Chesterfield as manager two summers ago.