Sheffield Wednesday vs Huddersfield Town. Sky Bet Championship.
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Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield at Hillsborough on Saturday | Terriers boss Darren Moore takes point on his return to Owls.
Saturday 7 October 2023 18:32, UK
Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield played out a goalless draw in a Yorkshire derby of few clear-cut chances at Hillsborough.
It was Neil Thompson's first game as caretaker manager of Wednesday after taking temporary charge earlier this week following the sacking of Xisco Munoz, who failed to register a league victory during his short spell as manager.
Thompson handed a recall to Cameron Dawson in goal with Di'Shon Bernard the only summer recruit included.
Huddersfield boss Darren Moore, who was making his first return to Hillsborough since leaving Wednesday in the summer, made three changes to his starting line-up with recalls for Jonathan Hogg, Josh Koroma and Tom Edwards.
Moore received a warm welcome from Wednesday supporters after he guided the Owls to promotion via the play-offs last season.
George Byers had an early effort for the home side, seeing his shot deflected for a corner after receiving the ball from Michael Smith.
Koroma then went close for Huddersfield, with a lobbed effort which went wide.
Smith sent in a looping header after getting on the end of a cross from Byers but Town keeper Lee Nicholls dealt with it comfortably.
There was a delay in play following a clash of heads between Callum Paterson and Michal Helik. After receiving treatment, the pair were able to continue.
Wednesday applied some pressure towards the end of the first half with Will Vaulks having a shot blocked on the edge of the area, but the deadlock remained unbroken.
A Wednesday substitution around the hour-mark saw a change in attack with Lee Gregory replaced by Mallik Wilks. Huddersfield also made a change with Tom Lees coming on for Josh Ruffels.
The Owls had a great chance when Smith headed the ball into the path of Paterson whose first-time shot flashed wide of Nicholls' left-hand post.
Another change for Wednesday saw Paterson taken off with John Buckley coming on to take his place.
Huddersfield's Sorba Thomas tried an effort from distance in the latter stages of the game but his shot rolled wide of the target.
A further substitution for the home side was required after Reece James appeared to suffer a knock and was replaced by Pol Valentin.
Despite the changes though, both teams had to settle for a point with neither side seriously threatening to force a breakthrough as the match petered out.
Sheffield Wednesday caretaker Neil Thompson:
"Scrappy, a bit frantic. We are on the back of a bad run and they've come off the back of a bad result in midweek. It was always going to be tight, a bit cagey. Not a lot of quality possession but a lot of endeavour. I thought we had a little spell just before half-time where we got a bit of controlled possession in their half. Maybe we could have done a little bit more with it. In the second 45, I thought that we were the team probably that was going to score. It was a game of few chances, but if you're not going to win it, you're not going to lose it and we didn't lose it.
"It's a pre-requisite that you compete and we did that. That's what I got from the boys today. They put a lot into the game. I think the players have had a right go today. Quality? Yes, that can be better, of course it can, but in terms of them committing themselves to the task in hand, I think they did it. You just step into the breach and do the best you can. I've been asked to do this game and I've done it."
Huddersfield's Darren Moore:
"I would imagine from a neutral watching the game, it wasn't a great game to watch. I thought the game would settle down after about 20/25 minutes but it kind of kept up all the way through the game. What you got from the game was two teams committed to not giving anyone any space on the pitch to manoeuvre. I just thought on the balance of it we shaded it. A couple of chances better than they had. I thought the 'goal' in the 90th minute came and then I looked to see the referee signal and he said it was a foul on the keeper. It looked soft at the time.
"I thought we shaded the chances better and certainly off the back of the performance in the week, a clean sheet was really important for us. I'm looking at the next two weeks as an opportunity to work with the team. The players have been absolutely diamonds - every single one of them - because everything we've asked them to do in small pockets, they've been doing. We have a chance to get some work done on the training ground. When we do get into these threatening areas, where we can be more of a threat and more punishing to the opposition."
