Scunthorpe United v Sheffield Wednesday: Owls must start to hit heights of expectation

SHEFFIELD Wednesday manager Gary Megson admits the Owls will not win promotion by leaking late goals.

Victory tonight at Scunthorpe United would take the Owls level on points with second-placed Huddersfield Town and third-placed Sheffield United in the League One table.

Megson, however, is only too aware that late goals have cost his side seven points in the last six games.

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This tendency to self-destruct raised its ugly head again last weekend when Hartlepool United scored in the 87th minute to deny the Owls victory at Hillsborough.

To make matters worse, Charlton Athletic have pulled away from the chasing pack and have a seven-point lead at the top of the table.

“I am sure most managers would say there is a certain amount of points they have ‘gifted’ to the opposition,” said Megson. “We are doing that too much to be successful so we have got to knock it on the head very quickly.

“We should be in a much better position,” he admitted. “If teams come and play you off the park, you hold your hands up, but that’s not been the case.”

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The Owls suffered a worrying injury blow ahead of tonight’s game but Megson opted to keep the identity of the victim under wraps.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Megson said: “Our plans went out of the window a bit this morning but you will see that when you see the team. We have quite a few issues that we are going to have to sort out. We will give everyone 24 hours and see where we are.”

Owls captain Rob Jones was already a major concern after limping off with an ankle injury against Hartlepool.

Tonight’s fixture is the Owls’ game in hand, originally scheduled for January 7 and postponed due to ongoing involvement in the FA Cup.

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With Scunthorpe winning only one of their last 12 games and only two home games all season, it is undoubtedly a ‘winnable’ contest but Megson refuses to take anything for granted.

“This is a big game and we know what a positive result can do – but it will be Scunthorpe’s biggest game of the season and they will be looking at us as a scalp,” he said.

“We have reports done on all teams but I don’t know why we bother because the team we play is never the one we saw before,” he added. “The one guarantee is that they will be right up for it, That’s something we have to cope with. You can’t look around and say they’ve only had two wins and it’s a ‘nailed on result’ because it will be entirely different for us.

“When we perform and when we are really flying, there is nobody better at this level,” insisted Megson. “We have to make sure we focus on what we are trying to do. It’s important not to slip up but we are looking to go joint second and we can do that by putting in a right good shift.”

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If Jones is unavailable for tonight’s game against his former club, Spanish defender Miguel Llera will start at centre-back alongside Danny Batth.

Winger Jermaine Johnson is also in contention for a recall after scoring as substitute at the weekend.

The Jamaican international is one of several fringe players at Hillsborough whose inconsistency has been constant a source of frustration for Megson.

“On his day, he is electrifying,” said Megson. “But I need to know what I am going to get from him. I can accept vagaries of performance but not chalk and cheese and that’s where ‘JJ’ has struggled in the past.”

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Johnson could replace recent signing Mike Jones, who has struggled in his first two games since arriving from Bury.

“He’s only been here eight days and I’m sure everyone needs time to settle down when they go into a new job,” said Megson. “When you come from the circumstances and the club Mike’s been at, into a club where it really is a goldfish bowl, you do need a bit of time. He can do a lot better than he has done so far – but so can a lot of other people.”

At 24, Jones is still learning his trade but Megson insists that players who join the Owls need to hit the ground running due to the heightened expectations at Hillsborough.

“We can’t do what some do and bring young players in accepting there will be peaks and troughs,” he said. “We have to be in a certain area of the table, getting certain results, and that doesn’t lend itself to having patience. Not on my behalf but on everybody’s behalf, we have to deliver.”

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With just over a week to go before the close of the transfer window, Megson is actively looking for both a creative midfield player and a winger following Ben Marshall’s return to parent club Stoke.

“I had another meeting with (chief executive) Paul Aldridge and Milan (Mandaric, chairman) and spoke about a player in the middle of the park who I would like to bring in. I’d like to see if we could do something, that’s not changed.”

Last six games: Scunthorpe DLDWDD, Sheffield Wednesday LWWWLD.

Last time: Scunthorpe 4 Sheffield Wednesday 2; August 24, 2010, Carling Cup.

Referee: A Bates (Staffordshire).