Championship Playoff Final - Hull City v Sheffield Wednesday - Sky Sports 1 - 5pm

Paully D

http://www.skysports.com/football/hull-city-vs-sheff-wed/355156

Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor is losing his battle to be fit for the Sky Bet Championship play-off final against Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley - live on Sky Sports 1.

McGregor missed both legs of the semi-final win against Derby due to a back problem and although he was hoping to return to training on Thursday, Eldin Jakupovic is likely to continue with Dusan Kuciak as back-up.

On-loan Manchester United striker Nick Powell remains an absentee due to a thigh problem but boss Steve Bruce confirmed he has no new injuries with all other outfield players fit and in contention.

Midfielders David Meyler and Sam Clucas, plus defender Harry Maguire and striker Chuba Akpom, are among those pushing for recalls to the starting line-up.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Carlos Carvalhal has a fully-fit squad to choose from as he aims to guide the Owls back into the top flight for the first time in 16 years.

The Portuguese is set to retain the same team that featured in both legs of their semi-final against Brighton, with Fernando Forestieri and Gary Hooper likely to lead the line.

Jeremy Helan, Sam Hutchinson and Atdhe Nuhiu all made substitute appearances in the second leg at the Amex Stadium and are pushing for starts if Carvalhal opts to make any changes.

One absentee is on-loan Everton winger Aiden McGeady who has been allowed to join up with the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2016 squad after only figuring once in the Owls' last four matches.

Match stats

It is the first time the second tier play-off final has been contested by two Yorkshire clubs.

It is 5,859 days since Sheffield Wednesday's last Premier League game - a 4-0 final day win v Leicester at Hillsborough on May 14, 2000 (relegation had been confirmed in the previous game).

Hull go into the game having won five of their last eight games (D1 L2).

Sheffield Wednesday's only defeat in their last seven games was 2-1 to Wolves on the Championship's final day, having made 10 changes from their previous game.

Sheffield Wednesday are making their first appearance at Wembley since the 92-93 season, when they played at the stadium on four occasions (W1 D1 L2), including losing both the League Cup and FA Cup finals to Arsenal.

Betting

Hull are 6/5 favourites with Football League sponsor Sky Bet to secure promotion within 90 minutes as Sheffield Wednesday are rated 5/2 outsiders, while the clash is 21/10 to go to added time. With both league meetings ending in draws, promotion to be settled in extra-time is a 6/1 chance while a penalty shoot-out is considered a real possibility at 7/2.

That_Guy

Really hoping that Sheffield Wednesday can do it even if it is for nostalgia sake.

Agent Coulson

It would be great to see Wednesday back in the top flight

Paully D

That_Guy wrote: »

Really hoping that Sheffield Wednesday can do it even if it is for nostalgia sake.

Yeah, I'd love to see Wednesday do it too, though I can't see past Hull today.

I feel the difference will be Hull having far more experienced players who have played on the big stage before.

Johner

Hull City XI: Jakupovic; Odubajo, Dawson, Davies, Robertson; Huddlestone, Livermore, Diame, Elmohamady, Snodgrass; Hernandez.

Sheffield Wednesday XI: Westwood, Hunt, Lees, Loovens, Pudil, Wallace, Lee, Hutchinson, Bannan, Forestieri, Hooper.

Morrison J

Hope Westwood is man of the match to force his way into the Irish squad. It's a joke that MON keeps overlooking him.

Paully D

Morrison J wrote: »

Hope Westwood is man of the match to force his way into the Irish squad. It's a joke that MON keeps overlooking him.

I've told the story on here before, but they had a big falling out at Sunderland. Westwood didn't feel he was fit enough to play with flu and Mignolet had to be rushed back from a facial injury to play with a mask on.

Sunderland won that game 1-0 and Westwood would go on to play only 3 Capital One Cup games for Sunderland over the next 14 months under O'Neill.

That_Guy

Ian Holloway. Nooooooooooooooooo!!!!

ctrl-alt-delete

Really hope Sheffield Wednesday can do it.

Lovely Bloke

Friend of mine, who back in the early to mid 90s before he came out, used to say he supported Sheff Weds so he'd "fit in" whenever someone asked who he supported when we were out - nobody ever had anything else to say to him as no Irish people really knew anything about them

He died a few years ago in tragic circumstances, but I always have a little soft spot for them still.

Come on the Owls!

Paully D

Johner wrote: »

Hull City XI: Jakupovic; Odubajo, Dawson, Davies, Robertson; Huddlestone, Livermore, Diame, Elmohamady, Snodgrass; Hernandez.

Shocking that Hull didn't manage to go up automatically with that standard of starting 11.

Their wage bill must be the highest in that division.

That_Guy

Lots of empty seats up in the gods...

RobertKK

C'mon Steve Bruce and Hull.

Unearthly

Up for Hull and Brucey.

Bobby Baccala

Why couldn't the fa cup final opening ceremony be like this instead of the absolute twaddle that was served up

Morrison J

Paully D wrote: »

I've told the story on here before, but they had a big falling out at Sunderland. Westwood didn't feel he was fit enough to play with flu and Mignolet had to be rushed back from a facial injury to play with a mask on.

Sunderland won that game 1-0 and Westwood would go on to play only 3 Capital One Cup games for Sunderland over the next 14 months under O'Neill.

Interesting thought there must be something like that to it.

Either way, if Westwood plays well enough I think MON will have to budge. He's a far better option than Shay Given right now for sure. Should be picking the best players possible regardless of trivial stuff that happened years ago. Walters and Roy Keane had history too which they put behind for the good of the team.

That_Guy

Who's that lady singing?

RobertKK

P4DDY2K11 wrote: »

Why couldn't the fa cup opening ceremony be like this instead of the absolute twaddle that was served up

They wanted it to be a bit more Superbowl but the less said the better...

Paully D

A silly amount of empty seats in the Hull allocation.

whiskeyman

Paully D wrote: »

A silly amount of empty seats in the Hull allocation.

The owls took their full allocation of nearly 40k but hull barely got passed. 30k I think and they couldn't go for sale to the owls fans for security reasons

ctrl-alt-delete

whiskeyman wrote: »

The owls took their full allocation of nearly 40k but hull barely got passed. 30k I think and they couldn't go for sale to the owls fans for security reasons

Does it even look like 30k?

A Dub in Glasgo

Just noticed 3 ex Celtic players in the Sheffield Wednesday team - Loovens, Wallace & Hooper

whiskeyman

ctrl-alt-delete wrote: »

Does it even look like 30k?

Just checked... Actually 45k owls and 26k for the tigers.
Another reason why the owls should go up !

ctrl-alt-delete

whiskeyman wrote: »

Just checked... Actually 45k owls and 26k for the tigers.
Another reason why the owls should go up !

Plenty in blue and white, I'm no good at judging the size of crowds Ted, but I'd say there's about seventeen million of them out there.

The Backwards Man

There's no late trains to Hull this evening, that's why their takeup was so low.

kerosene

The Backwards Man wrote: »

There's no late trains to Hull this evening, that's why their takeup was so low.

Big rugby league game on today as well involving hull

BoJack Horseman

Apparently there is some rugby league going on aswell....





Open game.... Hull went very close there from a corner.

whiskeyman

Great chance for hull there.
Hope they don't keep up this momentum for much longer!

derm0j073

Lucky there, that was definitely a penalty.

Johner

What a save.

ctrl-alt-delete

Great reaction save from Westwood there. Hull growing in confidence.

whiskeyman

Westwood once again proves why he needs to go to France!

sheroman01

World class save from Westwood. I love him. MON, please kiss and make up.

BoJack Horseman

Hull dominating now..... terrific save from Westwood.
Should have been a goal.

Morrison J

David Forde and Shay Given ahead of him in MON's pecking order...

derm0j073

Westwood to the rescue, if he keeps that form going he might make the Ireland B squad.

Paully D

Just a matter of time for Hull here.

Johner

Hull getting closer.

BoJack Horseman

Owls would love to hear the half time whistle now.

whiskeyman

Westwood saves us again!

Johner

Sheffield Wednesday did very well to get to half time level.

That_Guy

Wednesday need to find something. They're all over the place. Shooting into their own fans might help in the second half.

Agent Coulson

Does there have to be a winner today or does it go to a replay if it ends in a draw?

That_Guy

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Does there have to be a winner today or does it go to a replay if it ends in a draw?

Extra time and penalties if needed.

ctrl-alt-delete

Two cracking balls to create it, and a glaring miss there for Hull.

Johner

Sheffield Wednesday will probably nick this the way it's going. Hull should be out of sight.

whiskeyman

Owls have had some luck and Westwood to thank to still be level. Need to keep our heads and build up something

ctrl-alt-delete

whiskeyman wrote: »

Owls have had some luck and Westwood to thank to still be level. Need to keep our heads and build up something

Set piece delivery and final balls have let them down, they just don't seem to pose much of a threat in the final third despite all their possession this half.

Morrison J

What a goal.

Johner

Balls, can't say they didn't deserve that.

Kiwi_knock

Goal worthy of promoting a team.