After all the action on Tuesday there is just one game in the Championship on Wednesday night and it will see Sheffield Wednesday make the trip to Ewood Park to take on Blackburn Rovers (Blackburn 10/11, draw 5/2, Sheff Wed 3/1 Match Betting).
The Owls might well need the extra day to recoup after the well-documented events of their last outing against Leeds United last Friday night at Hillsborough. But, putting aside the crowd trouble between the two sets of fans, from a footballing point of view Wednesday will be able to take plenty of positives from the Yorkshire derby, which they really should have claimed three points from.
The Owls dominated much of the first half and were able to keep hold of the ball much better than their previous games, which saw them record one draw and six defeats before the arrival of Leeds.
On-loan striker Jay Bothroyd had arguably his best game for Wednesday since joining the club after a disappointing spell at Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League. The 30-year-old former Cardiff City (4/1 Championship outright) man held the ball up well and was a threat throughout the evening and he will need to produce a similar performance on Wednesday night, if manager Dave Jones and his men are to get anything out of their trip across the Pennines.
As for Blackburn they are still in the hunt for a replacement manager following the departure of Steve Kean. Many names have been linked with the role at Ewood Park, with the likes of Ian Holloway at Blackpool and Fulham coach Billy McKinley having their names bounded about in the media. For the moment Eric Black is the caretaker boss and he will have been disappointed his side were not able to finish off Derby County on the weekend, as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Pride Park.
Having taken the lead through Jordan Rhodes, it was two minutes before time that the Rams were able to get an equaliser, which left Blackburn (8/1 Championship outright) no time to respond. With four goals to his name this season for Blackburn, Rhodes has shown that he will certainly cope at this level, having made his name in League One with Huddersfield Town.
Wednesday, who have shipped in 22 goals in 11 games this season, will have to be on their guard if they are to keep the Scotland international quiet but it’s likely 22-year-old will get his name on the scoresheet against the Owls.
It’s crucial Blackburn bring in a new manager before they drop anymore important points but even with a caretaker in charge they should have enough to see of Wednesday.
Yes the Owls showed massive signs of improvement against Leeds but they were still unable to keep that all-important clean-sheet and against a Rovers side will plenty of attacking prowess, it’s hard to see Jones’ men coming away from Ewood Park with anything to show for their efforts (Rovers 2-0 correct score).
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There have been plenty of upsets in the first round of the Carling Cup so far and Thursday throws up the opportunity for one more, as League One outfit Sheffield Wednesday host Championship side Blackpool at Hillsborough (Sheff Wed 8/5, draw 12/5, Blackpool 13/8).