Academy 0 Sheffield Wednesday 4

I do not think that I have left an academy game so annoyed for a long time. My understanding is that results do not matter for the academy. What is important is that the lads are taught good habits. If that includes kicking players off the ball and tackling with the intent of hurting the opposition, then I think that we need to look at our academy coaches. The referee was abused by Barnsley fans on his way back to the dressing rooms, but I felt that he had no option but to send off 2 Barnsley players and 1 Sheffield Wednesday player. There was trouble all the first half which culminated in a set to right infont of us. Butterfield and 2 Wednesday player were fortunate to see only yellow. Rather than use the half time break to calm down his players our coach appears to have wound them up still further. As a result, Jacob White and James Kay for Wednesday were sent off for an off the ball scrap. The referee deserves praise for not sending off Butterfield who gave him at least 3 opportunities. Finally, Ryan Jennings, who had been pushed up front, reacted badly to being pull back and was given a straight red. When any football was played, Wednesday murdered us. Centre Half, Jamie Hadfield, Headed in from a corner to give Wednesday a 1-0 lead. Centre forward Matthew Bowman scored at the end of a breakaway after Fedorenko had given the ball away. Right winger, David Clement scored the 3rd after Martin Grundy had gone to ground without winning the ball. He also scored the 4th with a 20 yard volley that our keeper should have been closer to.

I usually mark the player at the end of my report, but I can find nothing positive to say. Butterfield was the best red by a mile. The poorest performance was from the Reds Coach who as well as the above indiscresions also managed to play almost the whole team out of position by the end of the game. Boo.