Brentford 1 Sheffield Wednesday 2: Treacy so sharp in response to blunt approach

AS an attempt at persuading someone to drop down a division to join Sheffield Wednesday’s promotion push, Dave Jones’s message to Keith Tracey over the phone was as blunt as they come.

“Get your lazy backside out of bed and come to Sheffield,” was a sentence the Burnley winger may not have been expecting to hear when the caller identified himself as the Sheffield Wednesday manager.

But it did the trick and Treacy could not be happier at taking the plunge after playing a pivotal role in Wednesday seizing the initiative in the Steel City fight for supremacy in League One.

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The loanee scored one goal and created the other to clinch a victory over Brentford that, together with United being held at home by Stevenage, means another win on the final day at home to Wycombe Wanderers will be enough to clinch second place behind champions Charlton Athletic.

Treacy, who had a spell on loan at Bramall Lane in 2009, said: “It is brilliant to be part of this promotion race.

“When I was at Sheffield United, I loved Sheffield as a city. It is a really passionate place when it comes to football.

“You only had to look at our supporters (at Brentford) to see that. It was bouncing and a real carnival atmosphere.

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“It is also great to be part of such a special team. We never know when we are beaten. It isn’t too long ago that people said we were dead and buried because the gap was four points but we refused to give up.”

Treacy had fallen out of favour at Burnley when Jones came calling just before last month’s transfer deadline and admits to being hugely grateful to the Owls’ chief.

He added: “I had the day off when Wednesday came in to sign me. I was sitting in my house in Lytham and Dave Jones phoned me up.

“I told him straight that I wasn’t fit and didn’t think I would be able to contribute to the team. I thought it would have taken me too long to get fit.

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“But he just said, ‘As long as your left foot works then I want you in the team so get your lazy backside out of bed and come to Sheffield’.

“I am glad he did say that as if I wasn’t here then, like the rest of the country, I’d be looking at the results of Sheffield Wednesday and United, wishing I was part of it.”

Jones’s belief in Treacy was repaid in fine style at a sodden Griffin Park as the visiting Owls claimed all three points despite being far from at their best in this encounter.

With Bradford-born Clayton Donaldson a constant threat up front for Brentford alongside the equally lively Sam Saunders, and the midfield battle largely going the way of the home side, Wednesday needed something special to prevail.

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It came in the form of Treacy’s deadly left foot as the winger first curled in a cheeky free-kick to give the visitors a half-time lead before creating the second-half winner for Miguel Llera with a pinpoint corner.

Both goals came against the run of play to further underline just how important it was that Jones’s blunt approach when trying to tempt the Irishman to leave Turf Moor paid off.

Certainly, the 38 minutes that preceded Treacy’s first goal since September belonged to a Brentford side who had missed two gilt-edged chances.

The first big let-off for the visitors came via a fresh air shot from Karleigh Osborne when he had the goal at his mercy, the big defender being just five yards out at the time which increased the volume of the groans of frustration that followed from the locals.

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Jonathan Douglas was even closer to goal when he somehow fired against the crossbar when it seemed easier for the former Leeds United captain to score after being picked out by Toumani Diagouraga.

That miss came on 37 minutes and within 60 seconds the Owls were ahead thanks to Treacy exploiting goalkeeper Simon Moore getting his angles wrong when trying to defend a free-kick.

Explaining his thinking, Treacy said: “The wall was too far across from where it should have been and the goalkeeper also seemed to be expecting a right-footed player to take it. So I decided to try my luck.”

Donaldson’s shot that Stephen Bywater did very well to turn round the post was the first indication that Brentford were not going to let Wednesday have it all their own way in the second half.

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It was a warning the Owls failed to heed and just after the hour they had been pegged back as Donaldson equalised from the penalty spot after being upended by Mark Beevers.

News of the goal will no doubt have been cheered loudly in the pubs surrounding Bramall Lane but it was Wednesday who would have the last laugh.

Again Treacy was involved, his pinpoint delivery from an in-swinging corner allowing Llera to get across his man and flick a delightful header beyond Moore and into the corner of the net.

The drama was far from over as Donaldson and Douglas both went close and Osborne fired wildly over but Wednesday held on to claim a victory, the true value of which was revealed a couple of hours later when Stevenage held United to a 2-2 draw in an enthralling game at Bramall Lane.

Treacy said: “It is brilliant for the city.

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“We are looking at their results and I am sure they have looked at our results.

“The United players will have seen our result just before they went out against Stevenage.

“The season could end with us both going up.

“I know Wednesday fans won’t want that but it will be good because there would be a derby next season.”