Wednesday were given a hefty dose of Championship reality in a 4-0 drubbing at Sunderland today.
Hopes were high after last Sunday’s four-goal victory over Plymouth, followed by the midweek Carabao Cup success at Hull, but three Sunderland goals inside the first 23 minutes left the home side firmly in control and they ran out convincing winners.
Wednesday had actually looked the better side in the opening exchanges but all that was undone in a 12-minute spell.
Josh Windass gave away a soft but needless free kick on 11 minutes and when the ball came in to the far post the unmarked Dennis Cirkin headed home.
Four minutes later, Windass tried a flick-on from inside our own half rather than keeping possession, the ball ended up rebounding to Eliezer Mayenda and he strode forward to fire past James Beadle from the edge of the box.
Worse followed on 23 minutes when Luke O’Nien turned the ball over Beadle from close range, Wednesday appealing for offside but replays showing Windass had played Sunderland onside.
We looked to have reduce the deficit two minutes later when Svante Ingelsson turned the ball home after keeper Anthony Patterson had pushed out Djeidi Gassama’s header but the latter was ruled offside in the build-up.
Sunderland’s Patrick Roberts went close with a long-ranger while Beadle saved well from Chris Rigg just before the break and any hopes of a second-half Wednesday fightback were ended within two minutes of the restart when Jack Clarke was given time and space to break down the left and his low cross was turned home by Mayenda.
Sunderland then appeared happy to allow us most of the possession but we were unable to trouble them until added time when Anthony Musaba set up Michael Smith in the box only for the striker to fire high over the bar and sum up an instantly forgettable day for the Owls.
Beadle, Valery (Valentin 54), Iorfa, Bernard, M Lowe (Johnson 69), Ingelsson, Bannan, Windass (Palmer 54), Gassama (Smith 46), Musaba, J Lowe (Ugbo 69). Unused subs: Charles, Ihiekwe, McNeill, Kobacki.