Sheff Weds v Chelsea 07/09/96 3.00Sheff Weds (0) 0 Chelsea (1) 2 FT Burley 28 Myers 83 Craig Burley and Andy Myers were on target as clinical Chelsea ended Sheffield Wednesday's 100% start to the Premiership campaign and extended their own unbeaten record to three wins in five games. It was a classic display of containment by Ruud Gullit's multi-national side, who conceded large amounts of possession to the home team, but always appeared to be in control. Burley's opener came in the 28th minute, when home defender Dejan Stefanovic was caught dawdling on the ball, allowing the Scottish international to nip in and leave goalkeeper Kevin Pressman helpless with a crisp, well-placed shot. Myers sealed the points seven minutes from time, when he latched on to a Mark Hughes pass to fire into the roof of the net. Wednesday - aiming to add a fifth scalp to a list already including Aston Villa, Leeds, Newcastle and Leicester - started strongly, with fit-again David Hirst, making his second appearance of the term in an unchanged home line-up, especially prominent. He won the fifth minute free kick from which Peter Atherton picked out Regi Blinker, whose shot was deflected for a corner by Myers. Teenage striker Ritchie Humphreys then fed Stefanovic with a deft chip, but the centre-back was unable to get his header on target. Chelsea's French international centre-back, Frank Leboeuf, produced a vital tackle to deny Andy Booth, only to slip up against the same opponent in the 25th minute, allowing Hirst to feed Blinker. 
The Dutchman was well placed, but allowed the ball to squirt out of his control. By that time Chelsea, who also started unchanged, had brought on substitute goalkeeper Kevin Hitchcock for Dmitri Kharine, after the Russian fell awkwardly in a challenge with Hirst. The switch did not unsettle the visitors, however, and Italian duo Roberto Di Matteo and Gianluca Vialli both produced telling runs before Burley struck. But Wednesday lost their momentum after the goal and their only other chance of the half came when old boy Dan Petrescu's weak backpass let in Booth. Hitchcock was up to the task, though, and spread himself to smother the striker's attempted flick. Hirst (twice) and Booth both tested Chelsea with close-range headers as Wednesday pushed forward at the start of the second half. But Gullit's men continued to look dangerous on the break, Vialli and Di Matteo both threatening before Myers finally provided the two-goal cushion. Wayne Collins and John Sheridan both tested Hitchcock late on, but Wednesday, to the obvious frustration of their fans in a 30,983 crowd, were unable to make the breakthrough. 
Sheff Weds: (4-3-3) Pressman, Atherton, Nolan, Walker, Whittingham (Oakes, 69), Hirst, Booth, Blinker, Stefanovic, Collins (Trustfull, 80), Humphreys (Sheridan, 62). Subs not used: Clarke, Nicol. Chelsea: (4-4-2) Kharine (Hitchcock, 18), Petrescu, Leboeuf, Clarke, Myers, Vialli, Hughes, Wise, Burley, Di Matteo, Johnsen. Subs not used: Spencer, Lee, Minto, Morris. Attendance: 30,983. Referee: P Jones (Loughborough). |
