Danny Rohl was delighted to see six weeks of intensive pre-season training reaping rewards after a 4-0 thumping of Plymouth in the Hillsborough sunshine this afternoon … but was keeping his feet firmly on the ground with another 45 Championship games to follow.
The manager said after an extremely impressive all-round Wednesday display in our league opener: “This is the outcome of six hard weeks of training. We controlled the game throughout and in all phases.
“I wanted a clean sheet as well and I got one.
“It is a good step but this is just the first game. It’s only one result, we have another 45 to play in the Championship and the next game is now the important one.”
Wednesday totally outplayed and outclassed a woeful Plymouth side and with more clinical finishing it could have been even worse for a clearly angry Wayne Rooney after his side’s performance.
Debutant Svante Ingelsson and Di’Shon Bernard both went close in the opening minutes while Plymouth struggled to pose problems at the other end and we eventually took the lead on 35 minutes following some neat build-up work.
Barry Bannan sent Ingelsson clear on the right with a trademark through ball and when his teasing low cross found fellow summer signing Jamal Lowe the striker slid the ball home from inside the six-yard box.
Any fears of a second-half fightback from Plymouth were soon eased with Wednesday doubling our lead on 52 minutes.
Lowe nodded Djeidi Gassama’s cross back across goal and the ball deflected off the head of defender Brendan Galloway and into the Kop net.
We continued to be in total control, Musaba fluffing a great chance to make it three within a minute but he miscued at the far post after being set up by Yan Valery.
The same player missed two more opportunities, shooting just wide after a driving solo run and then firing over the top after more sharp teamwork.
However, Musaba became provider again on 81 minutes when he pulled the ball back for Josh Windass to finish clinically from six yards for goal number three.
Lowe and sub Michael Smith were both close to a fourth in added time and it eventually came just before the final whistle, Smith seeing his shot from Marvin Johnson’s cross blocked by keeper Hazard before turning home the rebound to complete an emphatic first-day victory for Wednesday.
Beadle, Valery (Valentin 84), Iorfa, Bernard, M Lowe (Johnson 74), Ingelsson (Palmer 87), Bannan, Gassama (Kobacki 74), Musaba, Windass (Smith 84), J Lowe. Unused subs: Charles, Diaby, Ihiekwe, McNeill. Attendance: 29,535.