Match Preview: Rochdale vs Sheffield Wednesday Monday, 14th Sep 2020 12:42 by AtThePeake Dale take on Championship opposition once again in the second round of the EFL Cup with Sheffield Wednesday making the trip to Spotland. Date: Tuesday 15th September 2020 However, with Jimmy Ryan still injured after picking up a knock in the victory over Huddersfield Town and new star signing Humphrys unable to be registered in time to play, Dale succumbed to a 3-1 humbling defeat, with a late Jimmy Keohane strike offering nothing more than a consolation given that the Robins had raced into a three goal lead before the half-time whistle. Dale looked flat from the off and struggled not only in terms of finding forward passes but also in defensive organisation and perhaps most worryingly of all given our preferred playing style, retaining possession. It was certainly a day to forget in Wiltshire and the best possible way to forget it would be by replicating the win at Huddersfield on Tuesday night. Similarly to that match at the John Smith's Stadium, Dale will expect to be on the back foot again here and they will need another captain's showing from Eoghan O'Connell, who put in a rare poor performance at the County Ground on Saturday. Chances may be few and far between and it doesn't help that new man Humphrys won't be available to make his second debut as he is cup-tied after featuring in Southend's first-round loss to Gillingham. The priority at the moment of course has to be the league, but as we saw last season with the famous matches against Manchester United and Newcastle United, cup runs can galvanise teams and supporters and give us memories to last and given that current manager Brian Barry-Murphy is a former Sheffield Wednesday man, he will of course be looking forward to this match-up more than most. ________________________________________________________________________ Perhaps fearing the worst with the points deduction, long-serving stars such as Fernando Forestieri, Atdhe Nuhiu and Sam Hutchinson decided to move on from Hillsborough this season and the fans' opinions of boss Garry Monk seem to be divided at best given the downturn in results at the end of the last campaign. However, the start of the season has given Owls' fans some cause for optimism. A few exciting signings have arrived, including the Wigan duo of Chey Dunkley and Josh Windass (who Dale fans will remember for an excellent spell with Accrington Stanley) and Chelsea loanee Izzy Brown. What's more, Wednesday have got off to a winning start in both the EFL Cup and the Championship. Having needed penalties to overcome League Two Walsall two weeks ago, the Owls shocked the odds and their own supporters over the weekend with first-half goals from Windass and former Dale loanee Jordan Rhodes firing them to an unexpected away win over Neil Harris' Cardiff City side. Rhodes isn't the only link between Dale and Wednesday in recent years of course. Not only did current boss Brian Barry-Murphy play 58 games for the club between 2003 and 2004, but forwards Grant Holt and Chris O'Grady, ever popular with the Dale faithful, also spent time at Sheffield Wednesday and defender Rory McArdle made his professional debut for the Owls before moving to Rochdale. It's expected to be a long season in SW6, but after such a positive start, who can blame Owls fans for daring to dream of their team overcoming that 12 point deficit and escaping the relegation zone this term? Rochdale: Sheffield Wednesday: ________________________________________________________________________ 25 Jan 2014 - Rochdale 1-2 Sheffield Wednesday - FA Cup Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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