The recalled Jordan Rhodes was Wednesday’s matchwinner as we recorded a much-needed 2-1 victory over Millwall at Hillsborough on Tuesday evening.
After just one success in the previous seven matches, the three points moves us up two places to 14th … only three points behind the final play-off place but 12 adrift of leaders Wolves.
Rhodes, who has struggled to find form and hardly figured in the starting line-up this season, grabbed the all-important goal with a header on 43 minutes.
It was the striker’s first Championship goal of the season and he almost had a second with an overhead kick soon afterwards. He should then have done better when he nodded over in the second half before seeing another header come back off an upright.
Adam Reach had steered us into the lead from close range after just three minutes but Millwall were able to open us up 10 minutes later and Tom Elliott turned the ball home from three yards for the equaliser.
The much-changed Owls line-up, with Glenn Loovens, Morgan Fox, Jacob Butterfield, Liam Palmer and Rhodes all recalled to the starting eleven, often showed a familiar lack of intensity and aggression while also looking fragile at times against a very average Millwall side.
However, we held out for the three points while the visitors ended up with 10 men when Jake Cooper was sent off in stoppage time for a second bookable offence.
Westwood, Palmer, Lees, Loovens, Fox, Wallace (Lee 71), Butterfield, Bannan, Reach, Hooper (Fletcher 78), Rhodes (Jones 87).