Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Sheffield Wednesday and Preston at Hillsborough as Liam Palmer's first goal since 2011 earned the Owls a fourth-consecutive victory on home soil
Saturday 30 January 2021 19:08, UK
Liam Palmer's first-half strike proved enough as Sheffield Wednesday claimed a fourth consecutive home win with a narrow 1-0 victory over Preston at Hillsborough.
The three points saw 23rd-placed Wednesday close the gap at the bottom of the Championship as the Lilywhites remained 11th.
Wednesday caretaker boss Neil Thompson made three changes from the side that lost to Coventry 2-0 in midweek. Josh Windass was replaced by Elias Kachunga, while Osaze Urhoghide and Callum Paterson came in for Julian Borner and Andre Green, who both dropped to the bench.
Preston manager Alex Neil made one change from the team which drew against Reading last weekend with fit-again Andrew Hughes replacing Joe Rafferty.
Wednesday captain Barry Bannan had the first chance of the game but the Owls midfielder could only hit the ball over from his second-minute half-volley.
The hosts pressed as Sam Hutchinson played in Paterson but the defender's shot arrowed wide of Daniel Iversen's post in the 11th minute.
Preston's Ben Whiteman forced Keiren Westwood into his first save of the afternoon as they Lilywhites midfielder took on a shot from distance in the 19th minute.
The visitors tried their hand at breaking the deadlock in the 34th minute as Whiteman went for goal from a free-kick - awarded for a foul on Emil Jakobsen - but the Englishman could only fire the ball wide of the bottom-left corner.
The Owls took the lead on the brink of half-time as Palmer scored his first Wednesday goal in over nine years. Assisted by Kachunga with a headed pass, the midfielder tapped home from close range in the 45th minute.
Brad Potts had the first chance after the interval but the Preston midfielder could only drag his shot wide in the 49th minute.
Jakobsen followed as he tried to fire his side level, although the Dane's effort lacked pace and proved a comfortable stop for Westwood in the 62nd minute.
Neil's side began to knock on the door as Westwood denied Potts with a fingertip save two minutes later.
Intricate Preston's build-up play then led to Whiteman shooting wide after Jayson Molumby pulled the ball back from the byline, but his effort sailed wide in the 67th minute.
Bannan came close to doubling Wednesday's score with 18 minutes remaining as he tried his luck from outside the box and forced Iverson to tip the ball over his crossbar.
Scott Sinclair came close to levelling for the visitors shortly after but he was unfortunate to head inches over from a fast-paced cross into the six-yard box as Wednesday held on for maximum points.
Sheffield Wednesday caretaker Neil Thompson: "It was a tough game against a good team. The biggest thing for me was getting a reaction from midweek. It's always key and you've got to bounce back. The work-rate was great today and it's something you've got to do.
"I thought the boys were terrific. Everyone worked their socks off and that's a given. We've got 21 games left and a lot of points to play for. At the end of the day, you'll always get challenges in football and people will always ask questions of you. But that's life as a footballer and it's not a bad job.
"It's hard to win games and it takes an awful lot of effort. The lads really carried out what was wanted from them. It's about that work-rate and positivity. We need that and they've got to do that."
Preston's Alex Neil: "It's a tough one. I wouldn't say it was a game we deserved to lose. We were in control of the game in the first half and the goal was a shocker. We had two or three opportunities in the game but I felt that at the top end of the pitch, we didn't do enough and we didn't create enough. I thought their defenders did well against us but our forwards needed to be sharper.
"(It's been) a disappointing day because I don't think Sheffield Wednesday were better than us. I actually thought that we put creative players on and we got worse. This season has been a transition for us. There's a lot of change and the younger lads will take a bit of time."
