Two-goal Fernando Forestieri inspired Wednesday to a fifth win in the last seven games as we triumphed 3-0 over Reading at Hillsborough.
As well as the goals, Forestieiri gave an energetic display and showed Wednesday fans how much we have missed his creativity and trickery during a long lay-off this season.
In a largely forgettable first half, he struck out of the blue on 34 minutes, Daniel Pudil finding Forestieri inside the box and the striker’s shot nestling in the far corner of the net, albeit via a hefty deflection off a Reading defender.
The visitors, who are still not safe from relegation, hardly showed the fight expected from a team in their position and we went further ahead on 52 minutes. Forestieri kept a loose ball in play, rather than allow it to go out go for a Wednesday corner, and gave Adam Reach the chance to cross low for George Boyd to slide home from inside the six-yard box.
And it was fitting that Forestieri should complete the scoring 16 minutes from time, surviving two challenges as he ran across the edge of the penalty area before firing a tremendous effort into the top corner of the net, despite the efforts of Vito Mannone in the Reading goal.
There was still time for Reading to see Tyler Blackett red carded for kicking out at Atdhe Nuhiu while Wednesday could celebrate in the Hillsborough sunshine with another three points which lift us into 15th place in the table.
Dawson, Hunt (Joao 68), Venancio (Kirby 77), Lees, Pudil, Boyd, Pelupessy, Bannan, Reach, Forestieri, Rhodes (Nuhiu 68).