Play-Offs Prove Owls Can Cut It

So, this season's Championship Play-Off Final is between Burnley and Sheffield United - two teams that Wednesday have taken maximum points from this season.

The Clarets booked their place at Wembley thanks to their aggregate victory over Reading last night, with our near neighbours from the wrong half of the Steel City defeating Preston on Monday night.

The final will be between two Championship teams that Wednesday have not only taken 12 points from this season - but have done so convincingly.

It again goes to prove the fact that the Championship, year-on-year, is starting to get a lot closer in terms of quality of teams, and give the sense that anyone can beat anyone on their day.

It also goes to prove that Wednesday were not far from one of those top six places, and also begs the question that if the Owls have crept into the play-off positions, would they be able to cut it in such a situation?

Of course, it's easy to say now, and who finished in those positions simply deserved to be there over the course of the season - we didn't.

It's frustration more than anything else, in my opinion anyway, that the two teams competing for the final spot in the Premier League next season are two teams that we beat and beat well, not once, but twice.

The opening day 4-1 hiding of Burnley could have been seen as a fluke, a one-off, but Brian Laws and his men inflicted a similar performance, and defeat, in the return fixture at Turf Moor, with Wednesday running out 4-2 winners.

Wednesdayites won't be forgetting the first Steel City double for a while either, whether the Blades go up or not.

Nobody can deny Wednesday out-fought, out-played, and out-classed the Blades in the entertaining fixture which saw Steve Watson's goal enough to give the blue and white side of Sheffield bragging rights before Christmas.

And nobody could deny Marcus Tudgay's wonder goal in the 2-1 victory at Bramall Lane which followed this year.

The Owls have proved they can mix it with the play-off hopefuls over the course of the season, bar some freak results.

But it's been the performances, and inconcsistency against the teams lower down the division that must give Laws and co. cause for concern throughout the last campaign.

Double defeats against lowly Barnsley and Plymouth, along with disappointing defeats at teams such as Nottingham Forest and at home to Coventry show that we still have a way to go before battling at the top end of the Championship.

Still, it again shows the 'anyone can beat anyone' mentality within one of the most exciting divisions in the country, some might say more exciting than the Premier League.

It also goes to show that Wednesday fans, and management, thinking of promotion next season, can live in the hope that next season could well be the one.

COME ON BURNLEY!

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