Sheffield Wednesday grabbed a vital away win against Millwall on Saturday, securing a critical three points to boost their fight against relegation and keep their Championship dreams alive.
Two finely executed first-half goals propelled the Owls into an early lead. A smooth partnership between Ike Ugbo and Anthony Musaba paved the way for Wednesday’s advantage, enhanced by an exceptional through ball from Skipper Barry Bannan, aiding Musaba in adding to his season tally. Despite Ashley Fletcher’s second yellow card posing a slight setback, the 10 men successfully maintained their two-goal lead, securing a crucial away win.
Danny Rohl’s side journeyed to The Den yesterday evening for a pivotal encounter, with only a four-point gap separating the two teams. Despite securing a crucial home victory against Birmingham City, Sheffield Wednesday find themselves firmly situated in the relegation zone following a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night.
Under the lights on Wednesday night, Joe Edwards’ side also faced another setback, succumbing to a 4-0 defeat against Ipswich Town, as the Lions struggled against The Blues.
With both clubs approaching the fixture coming off the back of midweek defeats, even a point for either of the sides would be vital considering their relegation woes. However, Wednesday shone through the looming shadow of relegation, maintaining the small glimmer of hope they have of climbing out of the danger zone.
Millwall’s Head Coach, Joe Edwards, implemented two changes in the starting XI, bringing back Japheth Tanganga for Wes Harding and Casper De Noore in place of George Saville. Notably, Michael Obafemi and Kevin Nisbet remained absent from the bench.
Wednesday boss Rohl also made two adjustments, inserting the Owls’ leading scorer Musaba and Liam Palmer into the starting lineup, replacing Wednesday youngster Bailey Cadamarteri and Djeidi Gassama.
Initially, it appeared that Millwall were eager to assert dominance over the visitors in the opening minutes. Tom Bradshaw came close to giving the Lions the lead with an early-headed attempt on goal, and Romain Esse followed shortly after with a missed opportunity.
A daring free kick from Millwall’s George Honeyman proved to be another golden missed opportunity for the Lions, with the ball just skimming beyond the heads of Jake Cooper and Japhet Tanganga, narrowly deflecting wide past James Beadle’s left shoulder.
Despite the Lion’s continuous efforts to open the scoring, they lacked quality in the final third. With only two goals scored in their last five games, it came as no surprise to Millwall fans that the numerous chances in the opening play were ultimately squandered.
Wednesday responded well to the initial pressure from the Lions, gaining control in the latter part of the first half. Musaba’s impressive run in the 31st minute concluded with a pass that slipped past Lions’ defender, Ryan Leonard, and found Ugbo at the back post. He then deftly guided it home for the Owls, slyly slotting the ball past the hands of Matija Šarkić, marking a third goal in three games for the Canadian international forward.
The Lions sought an immediate response but their endeavours went unrewarded as Edward’s side struggled to recapture the initial momentum they possessed earlier in the game. A desperate attempt from Zian Flemming, who has scored five goals this season in 35 appearances, resulted in his cross being cleared out of the box by Wednesday. Leonard followed up with a long-range shot, but it ended up directly in the hands of Beadle.
As a result, Millwall’s confidence suffered and just minutes before the stroke of half time, Bannan helped to double the Owls’ advantage, playing a perfectly weighted through ball meticulously into the feet of Musaba, with an excellent finish by the Dutchman which saw a visibly defeated Šarkić crumble as the ball sailed past the keeper’s left hand.
Approaching the second half, Sheffield Wednesday sought to solidify their hold on the crucial lead. In the 54th minute, Millwall top scorer Zian Flemming unleashed a left-footed attempt, but Beadle’s swift efforts denied the midfielder’s pursuit, flicking the ball wide of the post.
Persistently seeking an opening, De Norre’s clever maneuvering saw him surge into the heart of the midfield, executing a remarkable pass to Millwall substitute Duncan Watmore. Nevertheless, Watmore’s promising attempt on goal was swiftly met with a defensive block from Wednesday’s Musaba, dashing the Lions’ hopes of gaining a foothold in the game.
The Wednesday defense persisted in foiling Millwall’s search for any opening opportunities, with Watmore’s efforts inside the box once again rebuffed by the resilient Wednesday backline. Bernard swiftly cleared Aidomo Emakhu’s powerful cross into the box, thwarting the Ireland International’s goal-scoring opportunity.
In the closing 10 minutes, the hosts launched a determined effort, yet Ryan Longman’s endeavours found an unoccupied Wednesday box. Ashley Fletcher saw a second yellow card in the concluding moments of the game, which saw him depart down the tunnel with just three minutes remaining. However, Wednesday exhibited no signs of depletion despite the setback.
As the referee’s whistle echoed through the stadium, it marked a well-deserved victory for the Owls, making it their third away win of the campaign so far. Despite the Lions’ initial efforts, Sheffield Wednesday’s defense remained impenetrable, allowing the visitors to revel in a decisive away win.
Attention now shifts to Saturday’s game at Hillsborough, where Rohl’s side aims to sustain their positive momentum against Bristol City.
Featured Image Credit: Graham Tonks
