U21 PREVIEW: BURNLEY V SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY

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Clarets start 2023 with visit of Owls in first league action for close to two months

2023-01-08T12:00:00.000Z

U21 PREVIEW: BURNLEY V SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY

Clarets start 2023 with visit of Owls in first league action for close to two months

2023-01-08T12:00:00.000Z

Clarets start 2023 with visit of Owls in first league action for close to two months

Burnley’s U21 side are back in action on Monday afternoon – 9th January – when Sheffield Wednesday visit East Lancashire (2pm KO) in what will be a first Professional Development League fixture for almost two months.

The Clarets last run out in the league was at Turf Moor on 14th November, when goals from Michael Mellon & Owen Dodgson helped them on their way to a 3-0 success against Barnsley.

During the World Cup break at senior level, the U21s were scheduled to round off their six group games in the Premier League Cup.

After being defeated at Swansea City and beating Stoke City 3-1 on home soil though, a trip to Arsenal and the reverse fixture against the Welsh outfit were postponed due to frozen & waterlogged pitches as inclement weather swept the nation.

U21 PREVIEW: BURNLEY V SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY - Image 1

Accordingly, Burnley’s most recent competitive outing was that victory against the Potters at the Lancashire FA’s headquarters which came back on 28th November.

Versatile midfielder Jez Davies featured as a Trialist in that game, and prior to Christmas officially joined the Club on a deal until the end of the season.

Wednesday, who will travel to the Burnley Training Centre, have a recent fixture record which reads all too similarly to the Clarets.

U21 PREVIEW: BURNLEY V PETERBOROUGH UNITED - Image 1

Not involved in the Premier League Cup, the Owls’ last game came on 22nd November and ended in a 2-0 defeat away at Wigan Athletic.

Looking to fill the void in the fixture list, they re-arranged their trip to Millwall to take place before Christmas, only to see that fixture fall foul to the inclement weather with a postponement.

Wednesday’s defeat at Wigan was an 11th of the season in the league for Neil Thompson’s side, who sit bottom of the Northern Section in the Professional Development League with 12 points from their 15 games so far this term.

All of those 12 have been earned across four wins, with Thompson’s side yet to draw a league fixture in 2022/23.

Burnley meanwhile sit 3rd in the Northern Section, eight points better off having played a game less, and three of those points were picked up in the reverse fixture against the Owls back in September.

U21 PREVIEW: BURNLEY V SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY - Image 3

Mellon, Ne-Jai Tucker, Joe Westley and Dara Costelloe were all on target at the home of Stocksbridge Park Steels to complete a 4-1 win from behind having conceded early on.

Victory again this time around, or a draw, would see the Clarets move back up into 2nd and the play-off spots by leapfrogging Wigan.

The Latics have the same points tally as Burnley but have played a game more, and aren’t in action themselves until Tuesday (10th January) when they travel to runaway leaders Sheffield United.