David Wagner has his head in hands. He can’t believe it. The Huddersfield players and fans are jubilant. They’re off to Wembley! As for Sheffield Wednesday, it’s more play-off heartbreak for them. They were so close to winning it in normal time after Steven Fletcher’s excellent header, but they couldn’t hold on and Nakhi Wells came up with the equaliser for Huddersfield. Wednesday’s players are applauded off by their supporters, but they’ve come up short again and the wait for the return to the Premier League goes on. Huddersfield will face Reading in the final on 29 May. That’s all from me for now, though. Thanks for reading and emailing. Bye!
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HUDDERSFIELD WIN ON 4-3 ON PENALTIES TO REACH THE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF FINAL!
Forestieri still has to score to force sudden death, though. Up he steps. Hillsborough falls silent again. Forestieri hits it firmly - but it’s a poor penalty and Ward guesses correctly, diving to his right to push the ball to safety! Huddersfield have won it! Incredible! They’re going to Wembley!
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PENALTIES: Sheffield Wednesday 3-4 Huddersfield Town: Payne has the chance to send Huddersfield to Wembley. The tension’s unbearable. And Payne cracks. His left-footer’s at a good height and Westwood dives to his left to save!
PENALTIES: Sheffield Wednesday 3-4 Huddersfield Town: Jack Hunt keeps Wednesday in this, coolly sending Ward the wrong way. But Jack Payne has a chance to win it for Huddersfield now...
PENALTIES: Sheffield Wednesday 2-4 Huddersfield Town: Westwood gets his hands to the ball, diving to his right, but he can’t keep Mooy’s firm shot out!
PENALTIES: Sheffield Wednesday 2-3 Huddersfield Town: Lee scuffs his shot, but it slithers past Ward and into the bottom right corner.
PENALTIES: Sheffield Wednesday 1-3 Huddersfield Town: Wells whips his penalty high to Westwood’s right. Excellent penalty.
PENALTIES: Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 Huddersfield Town: Bannan hammers the ball low to Ward’s left.
PENALTIES: Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Huddersfield Town: Hefele, the German centre-back, calmly sends Westwood the wrong way.
PENALTIES: Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Huddersfield Town: Ward saves! Hutchinson’s right-footed sidefooter is at a nice height for a Huddersfield goalkeeper, who dives to his left to push it away!
PENALTIES: Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Huddersfield Town: Lowe slams his left-footed penalty low to Westwood’s left.
Huddersfield will take first...
Sheffield Wednesday have scored five from seven penalties this season. Huddersfield have scored three from five.
Full-time in extra-time: Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Huddersfield (1-1 agg)
Penalties!
ET 28 min: Wells can’t get his free-kick past the wall.
ET 27 min: Hillsborough falls deathly quiet as Huddersfield win a free-kick 25 yards from goal.
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ET 24 min: Hutchinson pings a driven cross into the middle from the right, but Rhodes heads past the near post.
ET 22 min: Huddersfield are pushing hard now. Wells goes down looking for a penalty. Nothing doing. Moments later, the visitors win a corner. It’s headed away.
ET 21 min: Holmes-Dennis seems to have run out of space down the left, but he manages to eke out a cross to the far post. Quaner hits his volley into the ground and back across goal, but it’s headed away.
ET 19 min: The 6ft 6in Nuhiu heads the corner away, but Huddersfield keep pressing. A deflected shot squirts to Wells on the right of the area and he has a sight of goal, only for his low effort to hit the side netting. He wants a corner, claiming a deflection off Lees, but he’s not getting one.
ET 18 min: Mooy wins a corner for Huddersfield on the left. Wednesday make a change before it can be taken, Atdhe Nuhiu replacing Pudil.
ET 16 min: Huddersfield get us underway again. Will it have to be penalties to separate these two sides? There’s very little between them.
Half-time in extra-time: Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Huddersfield Town (agg 1-1)
We are 15 minutes from penalties.
ET 15 min+1: What a block from Hefele! Bannan’s cross lands at the feet of Forestieri. This is the chance he’s been waiting for. But Hefele heroically throws himself in the way of the Wednesday striker’s goalbound shot!
ET 15 min: Tareiq Holmes-Dennis replaces Rajiv Van la Parra.
ET 13 min: Huddersfield deal with the corner a little unconvincingly, but Hutchinson stops them from breaking with an expert challenge. Back from Wednesday. The ball’s fed into Rhodes, who turns and shoots, forcing Ward to parry smartly.
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ET 12 min: A flick-on reaches Rhodes with his back to goal. He turns and volleys. A deflection sees the ball loop on to the top of the net.
ET 9 min: Mooy’s free-kick’s headed away.
ET 8 min: Pudil, who’s struggled to contain Quaner, brings him down deep on the right.
ET 7 min: Jack Payne replaces Izzy Brown.
ET 5 min: Van La Parra bursts down the left and finds Wells, who tees up Brown. His fierce drive from 25 yards is held at the second attempt by Westwood.
ET 4 min: Smith sends a shot well off target from long range. No one wants to make a mistake out there. It’s tight again.
ET 1 min: Sheffield Wednesday begin the first period of extra-time. They were so close to Wembley. They’ve made a positive start here, however, Mooy conceding a free-kick in a promising position on the left.
Full-time: Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Huddersfield Town (1-1 agg)
We will have extra-time.
90 min+1: There will be four added minutes.
90 min: What a chance for Wells to win it! Mooy slips a pass through to the Huddersfield striker, but Westwood steams out to close him down and make sure he can’t take the ball round him. The ball does squirm past Westwood and into the six-yard box, but it’s hacked clear.
89 min: Smith’s dangerous cross is headed away. Huddersfield are finishing strongly.
87 min: Barry Bannan’s booked for delaying a Huddersfield throw.
85 min: Quaner, so dangerous since coming on, speeds down the right, nutmegging Loovens and cutting the ball back to Wells. His shot might be heading wide, but Westwood pushes it behind for a corner.
83 min: Hogg’s back on.
82 min: Play continues with Hogg still off receiving treatment to a cut on his head. Huddersfield are down to 10 for the time being.
80 min: Hogg is down with a head injury. He’ll need some treatment.
75 min: Wednesday are stunned. That’s the first goal they’ve conceded to Huddersfield this season. Better late than never.
GOAL! Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Huddersfield Town (Wells, 73 min; 1-1 agg)
Something happens! Brown slices Wednesday open up with a gorgeous pass through to Quaner on the right, Pudil caught ball watching. The substitute, barely on for a minute, advances on goal, draws Westwood and unselfishly squares to Wells, who, despite being under pressure, manages to squeeze the ball over the line, almost in slow motion. Huddersfield are level out of nothing!
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72 min: Colin Quaner replaces the ineffective Kachunga on the right. Nothing is happening, which suits Wednesday just fine.
68 min: Wednesday look the likelier to score a second goal. This is very disappointing from Huddersfield.
66 min: Wagner is going to have to change this at some point. Wednesday are comfortable at the back. Huddersfield are drifting towards defeat.
63 min: Hefele’s booked for a bodycheck on Rhodes on the halfway line.
62 min: Huddersfield have bossed this since going behind. But they still don’t look like scoring. “This isn’t necessarily related to the game itself, but as a lover of all things mascot-related, can I just note how much I enjoy 1) that Sheffield Wednesday have not one but two giant owl mascots and 2) that Steven Fletcher embraced one of them after he scored” says Matt Burtz. “Outstanding stuff.”
61 min: Sheffield Wednesday make their second change, Jordan Rhodes on for Steven Fletcher, the goalscorer.
59 min: After nervy defending from Wednesday, Huddersfield work the ball out to Kachunga on the right. He blazes well wide.
58 min: Less than ideal for Huddersfield is the knowledge that they still haven’t scored against Sheffield Wednesday this season. If that doesn’t change soon, it’s heartbreak for them!
57 min: Van La Parra cuts inside from the left and sees his shot deflected off for a corner by Lee.
54 min: Huddersfield look for a swift response, Wells racing on to a long punt and getting there before the dawdling Lees. He shifts the ball to the left, but he snatches his shot and sends it miles wide.
53 min: Huddersfield will have to push now. Wednesday will fancy their chances on the break.
GOAL! Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Huddersfield Town (Fletcher, 51 min; 1-0 agg)
Hillsborough erupts! Barry Bannan pops up on the left, gets his head up and no Huddersfield player closes him down, giving him the time he needs to swing a cross towards the far post. Fletcher leaps and sends his header back across goal, the ball arcing beautifully past the despairing Ward in the Huddersfield goal! That is a lovely goal and at long last there something to separate these two teams.
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48 min: This remains scrappy.
46 min: Sheffield Wednesday get the second half underway.
HALF-TIME PLUG
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Half-time: Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 Huddersfield (0-0 agg)
It’s nervy.
45 min: There will be one added minute, which is frankly too much.
44 min: The Wednesday fans roar after Hogg mistimes a challenge on the impish Forestieri. Hogg, who’s managed to hurt himself in the process, is booked.
41 min: Huddersfield have had 60% possession. They’ve had the better chances, too, but this entire tie is still goalless.
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38 min: Smith charges down the right and manages to hoist a high ball towards the far post from the byline. Van La Parra does brilliantly to keep it in play, flicking it into the six-yard box, and Wells scampers on to the ball before any Wednesday player. Westwood, in a moment of desperation, appears to clean the Huddersfield forward out with a risky late challenge, sending Wells sprawling to the turf and looking appealingly at Andre Marriner, who isn’t interested in awarding a penalty. On the touchline, David Wagner is furious. Wednesday have got away with one there!
36 min: Wednesday are beginning to raise the intensity of their pressing and their fans are responding. For the first time, Huddersfield look shaky. This game could do with a bit more aggression. It’s been largely tepid stuff so far. Far too cautious.
35 min: “What the hell is that Wednesday kit?” says Dave Adams. “Looks like Ipswich had some spares and they’ve slapped an Owls badge on it. Are the Wednesday fans OK with this?”
33 min: A free-kick to Wednesday on the right. Bannan sends it to the left of the area and Lees is given too much time to head into the middle, where Hutchinson’s unmarked. He controls his chest before awkwardly wonking a dismal volley over the bar. That was a great chance.
29 min: Another dangerous Huddersfield break, Brown skipping through the middle. But he’s tackled, Wednesday defenders combining to smother him. Now it’s Wednesday’s turn to counter - and a wonderful pass over the top from Bannan has Steven Fletcher racing through on goal! Well, it’s more of a chug. He’s not confident enough on his weaker right foot and ends up allowing Schindler to close him down before failing to find Forestieri, who had arrived late in the area. The Wednesday fans howl.
26 min: Huddersfield steam forward down the left, Wells cleverly drifting wide and cutting the ball back from the byline. Brown’s run catches Loovens on his heels, but the youngster turns his shot wastefully past the near post from close range. The Huddersfield fans momentarily think the ball’s gone in; in reality, it’s a goal-kick.
24 min: Sam Hutchinson clatters into Izzy Brown and, much to the annoyance of the Wednesday fans, he picks up a slightly harsh booking. Carlos Caravahal’s shaking his head.
21 min: Wells finds space in front of the Wednesday defence and tries to drive towards goal, but the ball’s whipped off his toes and Westwood manages to prevent a corner.
19 min: Fletcher jumps to meet a cross from the right and head it back to Reach, who controls with his chest and his thigh before turning to volley with his left foot out of nowhere, catching Ward by surprise. The Huddersfield goalkeeper spills the shot, but Fletcher’s offside as he runs on to the rebound.
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18 min: The Wednesday fans jeer as Smith’s cross sails out for a throw.
15 min: “We’ve got Bannan, Barry Bannan...”
Let me stop you there.
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14 min: Huddersfield are doing a good job of quietening the crowd with their dominance of possession. Wednsday don’t look entirely sure of themselves yet. There is more pressure on them, after all.
12 min: Westwood punches Lowe’s corner away.
11 min: After a long spell of Huddersfield possession, Van La Parra wins a corner on the left. Schindler’s header at the near post flicks off a Wednesday head. Another Huddersfield corner.
8 min: Bannan drifts inside from the right and lofts a pass over to the left, looking for Reach. He challenges for it in the air and the ball drops to Fletcher, whose shot takes a deflection and spins off for a corner. Forestieri swings it to the far post, but Lees can’t rise high enough.
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7 min: A tight start. Huddersfield are the team who look more composed on the ball, not that their possession is taking them anywhere at the moment.
5 min: The ball goes out of play and Wallace goes down. His evening’s over. He’s distraught and not even the sympathetic applause from the home fans is going to be improve his mood. The Wednesday winger has his head in his hands as he walks off to be replaced by Adam Reach.
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4 min: Wallace’s race might be run already. He gets on the ball here, but loses it quickly, and Carlos Carvalhal has sent Adam Reach down the touchline to warm up.
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2 min: Ross Wallace is feeling his hamstring already. That’s a worry sight for Wednesday.
One more burst of “High ho, Sheffield Wednesday!” and we’re off! Huddersfield, in luminous yellow and black, get the game underway. They’re kicking from right to left in the first half.
Here come the teams, both of them decked out in blue and white tracksuit tops. They walk out into a wall of noise at Hillsborough. The atmosphere is electric. This might be nervy given what’s at stake, but it’s bound to be good.
Pre-match reading.
Team news
Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood; Hunt, Lees, Loovens, Pudil; Wallace, Lee, Hutchinson, Bannan; Forestieri, Fletcher. Subs: Wildsmith, Sasso, Jones, Reach, Winnall, Rhodes, Nuhiu.
Huddersfield Town: Ward; Smith, Hefele, Schindler, Lowe; Mooy, Hogg, Brown, Van La Parra, Kachunga; Wells. Subs: Coleman, Whitehead, Hudson, Crainie, Payne, Quaner, Holmes-Dennis.
Referee: Andre Marriner.
Preamble
It’s been 17 years since Sheffield Wednesday’s relegation from the top flight. They were a fixture in the early Premier League era, reaching both cup finals in 1993, giving us the likes of Benito Carbone, Paolo Di Canio, Wim Jonk and Regi Blinker, but their final season was an unmitigated disaster. Carbone went on strike, Newcastle beat them 8-0 and they looked like they were going down from day one. Rubbing salt into the wound, Bradford stayed up on the final day and Leeds qualified for the Champions League. Crumbs.
Things didn’t get much better after relegation to the second tier. A period of financial instability ensued, culminating with relegation to League One in 2003, and they didn’t return to the Championship until 2005. Five years later, they went down again. Still, they managed to bounce back straight away and they’ve improved in every season since then, culminating in this season’s fourth-placed finish under Carlos Carvalhal.
Does a Wembley date with Reading await the Owls, 24 years after those two defeats to Arsenal? Maybe! A 0-0 draw in the first leg of their play-off semi-final at Huddersfield Town has left them in a strong position to reach the final. Recent history favours them. They’ve already beaten Huddersfield 2-0 at Hillsborough in the league. They haven’t conceded a goal to David Wagner’s side this season. They only conceded 45 goals in 46 league matches. They only need a 1-0 win over their Yorkshire neighbours tonight.
But hang on a minute! Let’s not write off Huddersfield, who had the better of Sunday’s contest and who were in with a shout of automatic promotion before running out of steam in the run-in, winning one of their last five matches. Wagner’s done a fine job there and while they’ve not beaten Wednesday in eight matches, Huddersfield shouldn’t be underestimated. They did, after all, only finish behind Wednesday on goal difference. And this is the play-offs. Anything can happen.
Kick-off: 7.45pm BST.
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