Preview: Town – Sheff W
By Aston
January 9 2009
Town will be looking to build on the 3-0 win against Chesterfield at the weekend at the weekend with a victory against Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow.
Town will be missing Veliche Shumulikoski after he picked up his 5th yellow card of the season against Chesterfield last week. David Wright is out with a hamstring injury while Tommy Miller is a doubt with a dead leg, if he plays it will be his 200th Town appearance.
Town manager Jim Magilton: "We need to look to build on our two recent performances and make it a hat-trick of wins with victory against Sheffield Wednesday, we can take some confidence from the performances against Derby and Chesterfield and the fact that we kept a clean sheet in both games.
"I've said it many times this season and we've had a few false dawns already, but winning games breeds confidence and that leads to momentum - and that is what we need to achieve over the second half of the season.
"We were not at our best by any means against Chesterfield in the FA Cup last weekend. It was a scrappy performance, especially in the first-half, and there was a nervousness about our play when in possession. That has been a problem for us at home over recent weeks and I think it spreads around the supporters as well.
"The players need to be brave on the ball and take possession and be careful and incisive with our passing.
"We know they are a good side, with good players but it's a game we have to look to win. We're at home and we need to go out there, get a foothold in the match, play at a good tempo and take the game to the opposition."
Wednesday could hand a debut to Michael Gray, who joined on-loan from Wolves earlier today. But they will be missing James O'Connor, who is suspended while Akpo Sodje, Frankie Simek and Etienne Esajas are all out, Bartosz Slusarski left the club this week and returned to Poland. Leon Clarke, Marcus Tudgay and Wade Small are all doubts for Brian Laws' side.
Wednesday manager Brian Laws: "Tudgay, Clarke and Small have been working extremely hard and doing very well so we'll have to wait and see. I'm sure they'll be back for Charlton if they are not ready on Saturday.
"I know every game is a huge game but Charlton particularly so because we don't want to get sucked in down towards the bottom and we need to kill teams off below us.
"But Ipswich is first and this will not be an easy game. Ipswich are a proven Championship side and a very experienced side as well, there are no kids in there whatsoever.
"They are another club in transition financially, they have money behind them so their team will be as strong as it has been in recent seasons, when they have been very strong at home."
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