Tue 5th Mar
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PLY Argyle

Mickel Miller v Sheffield Wednesday

Sync fixtures

The Game
Sheffield Wednesday v Argyle. Hillsbrorough. Tuesday, 5 March. 7.45pm. Sky Bet Championship.

The Opposition
Sheffield Wednesday are 23rd in the Championship table, with 35 points from 35 games, but that only tells part of the story. Wednesday have won four of their last five games, and have brought themselves closer to the pack of teams around the dotted line of relegation. 

Those four wins have come in home games against Birmingham City (2-0) and Bristol City (2-1), and away games at Millwall (2-0) and, most recently, Rotherham United (1-0). The only loss in that sequence was away to leaders Leicester City. 

The Gaffer
Danny Rohl took charge of Sheffield Wednesday on 13 October, 2023, becoming the youngest manager in the EFL, aged just 34 at the time. 

Danny Röhl

Rohl had a short playing career in the German lower leagues, before embarking on a coaching journey that has led him to Hillsborough. Rohl was part of Ralph Hassenhuttl's coaching staff at RB Leipzig, and followed him to Southampton. 

Rohl then moved to German giants Bayern Munich and also landed a job with the German national team, under Hansi Flick. 

The Squad
Ike Ugbo 
signed for Sheffield Wednesday, on loan from Troyes, in the January transfer window, and has had a huge impact. The 25-year-old (below) has started seven games, with one substitute appearance, and has scored six goals, which remarkably makes him Wednesday's leading goalscorer this season. Born in London, Ugbo began his career with Chelsea, and has eight caps for Canada.

Ike Ugbo

No-one has started more games (31) for Wednesday this season than experienced midfielder Barry Bannan. Capped 27 times for Scotland, Bannan signed for Wednesday in 2015, and has played 391 times for the Owls. The former Aston Villa man, who also represented Crystal Palace, Bolton Wanderers, Leeds United, Derby County and Blackpool, found a home at Hillsborough and has ben a fixture of their side for years. 

Even Bannan does not have has many appearances for Wednesday as Liam Palmer. Palmer played for the 426th time in an Owls shirt when they met Rotherham on Saturday. Aside from a season on loan at Tranmere Rovers in 2012/13, Palmer is a one-club man, and hails from Worksop, in Nottinghamshire. The defender has eight caps for Scotland. 

Earlier This Season
Argyle faced Sheffield Wednesday in late October, and won 3-0 at Home Park. Mustapha Bundu, on his first Argyle start, crashed in a free-kick just before half-time, and the Greens extended their advantage just moments later through Morgan Whittaker. Ryan Hardie, on as a substitute, made it three on 76 minutes. 

Argyle v Sheffield Wednesday

A Strip for the Trip
Argyle will be wearing their green home kit for this game. 

Tickets
There will be no tickets available on the day of the game. 

Purchased tickets can be collected from the Home Park Ticket Office until 4pm on Monday, 4 March. After this, any not collected will be available on the evening of the game from the away ticket booth outside of the away turnstiles.

Argyle TV
Commentary will be provided from Hillsborough by James Law and former Argyle midfielder Lee Makel. 

Argyle TV’s pre-match show, hosted by Charlie Price and Aaron Cusack, will begin at 6.45pm, and will be available to watch for free on YouTube.

The match is available for domestic and international supporters to stream on Argyle TV. Buy a match pass to watch the game, here.

Outdoor cinema at home park

Joe Edwards

Fixture List

Sheffield Wednesday 1
Gassama 60

Argyle 0

Argyle fell by a single goal at Hillsborough on Tuesday night, with Djeidi Gassama’s strike for Sheffield Wednesday on the hour the difference between the two teams.

It was a game of precious few chances. In the end Gassama, latching on to a right-wing cross from Ike Ogbo, pounced, and forced the ball over the line.

The Greens tried in vain after the goal to find an equaliser, having their best spell of the game towards the closing stages, but Wednesday fell back, protected their box, and saw the game out.

Head Coach Ian Foster made three changes to the starting line-up, bringing captain Joe Edwards, Ashley Phillips and Adam Forshaw into the 11, with Matty Sorinola, Julio Pleguezuelo and Jordan Houghton moving to the bench.

The play in the opening ten minutes was all played in Sheffield Wednesday’s half, with Morgan Whittaker making an earlier show of intent by beating several Owls defenders, who forced to gang up, and still could not stop the cross, but they did clear it.

Whittaker whistled one over the bar after being released by Randell, and Ryan Hardie was very close to getting on the end of a left-wing Mickel Miller cross following a smartly taken quick free-kick.

Wednesday, having seen out Argyle’s opening salvo, rallied, and got Ugbo into several decent attacking positions. Ugbo, with six goals in eight games since joining on loan in January from Troyes, showed his eagerness to add to the tally, flicking an Ian Poveda chance at goal, which Conor Hazard pushed away. From the corner, Ugbo got into another shooting position, but this time saw his shot blocked.

Poveda, playing on the right of Wednesday’s high front three, looked a danger, and he was involved in two big incidents as the 20-minute mark approached. First, he tried a precise pass towards Gassama, which was superbly cut out by Edwards, and then Poveda put the ball in the net, only to see the flag go up for offside.

The big screen in the ground had flashed 1-0, and 23,000 Owls fans were celebrating that (non) fact, but replays seem to indicate the validity of the call.

Argyle’s better moments seemed to come from when they were able to turn Wednesday, then press their defenders. Gyabi pinched one to earn a free-kick from which Phillips could not clean contact, then Gyabi again found some space, but his shot lacked power, and goalkeeper James Beadle gathered.

On the half hour, from a left-wing corner, there were strong claims for a penalty when Lewis Gibson looked to have been hauled to the ground, but the incident clearly happened on the blind side, as any claims for a spot-kick were waved away.

For the remainder of the half, Wednesday, coming into the game with four wins in five as they look to fight they way out of trouble, sensed a chance to lead into the break, but despite territorial advantage, created little, save for a Poveda shot which deflected wide off his own team-mate.

In the second half, a similar pattern materialised. Wednesday with most of the ball, trying to penetrate, and Argyle looking to pick pockets and counter. This was epitomised by a characteristic Edwards charge, having won the ball in his own half through sheer bloody-mindedness, but on releasing Whittaker, Wednesday recovered, and the chance was gone.

Just after the hour mark came the game’s key moment. Argyle had chances to clear their lines, then midfielder Adam Forshaw slipped at a crucial moment, allowing Ugbo to get down the right flank. A low cross found Gassama, and despite Hazard’s best efforts, the ball found the corner of the net.

Whittaker got one on target from range before Foster turned to his bench, introducing Jordan Houghton and Mustapha Bundu.

Both made an impact, particularly on the inside-left channel, with support from Miller and Brendan Galloway, and these four seemed to carve out some promising beginnings of opportunity that never truly materialise.

As the half progressed, so Wednesday fell deeper, and Argyle sensed chances to equalise, but the home defence was firm, and organised, seeing the game to its conclusion.

Argyle’s week on the road continues this Saturday at Blackburn, as the final ten games of the season commence.

Argyle: 21 Conor Hazard, 8 Joe Edwards (capt) (2 Bali Mumba 78'), 9 Ryan Hardie, 10 Morgan Whittaker, 14 Mickel Miller, 17 Lewis Gibson, 18 Darko Gyabi (15 Mustapha Bundu 70'), 20 Adam Randell, 22 Brendan Galloway, 26 Ashley Phillips, 27 Adam Forshaw (4 Jordan Houghton 70'). Substitutes: 1 Michael Cooper (gk), 3 Lino Sousa, 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 16 Alfie Devine, 23 Ben Waine, 29 Matty Sorinola.

Booked: Forshaw 45, Randell 58.

Sheffield Wednesday: 26 James Beadle (gk), 4 Will Vaulks, 6 Dominic Iorfa (Bambo Diaby 76'), 10 Barry Bannan (capt) (44 Momo Diaby 45'), 12 Ike Ugbo (42 Bailey Cadamarteri 68'), 14 Pol Valentín (2 Liam Palmer 87'), 17 Di'Shon Bernard, 18 Marvin Johnson, 20 Michael Ihiekwe, 36 Ian Poveda (45 Anthony Musaba 76'), 41 Djeidi Gassama. Substitutes: 1 Cameron Dawson (gk), 7 Mallik Wilks, 23 Akin Famewo, 24 Michael Smith.

Attendance: 23,037.

Referee: Stephen Martin.

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