Team Lineups

Owls in play-off spot as Joao rocks Robins

Wednesday moved into the play-off positions after two quickfire Lucas Joao goals gave us a 2-1 win at Bristol City on Sunday afternoon.

The victory takes the Owls into sixth place on 19 points, level with Forest, who are ahead of us on goal difference.

It was Joao, an early substitute for the injured Steven Fletcher, who missed our best chance of the first half as he failed to make contact with a header when well placed in front of goal.

At the other end, Cameron Dawson made an excellent stop to keep out Famawra Didhiou’s effort in a one-on-one and City hit an upright through Lloyd Kelly.

Wednesday, who were sluggish in the opening 45 minutes, came out looking much brighter from the restart and they shook the Robins with two goals inside three minutes from Joao.

He struck first on 64 minutes, taking advantage of poor City defending from Dawson’s long clearance and latching onto the loose ball to slot home the opener.

Then, before City had a chance to regain their composure, Joao struck again as he turned inside the box from Josh Onomah’s pass and cracked the ball home.

Buoyed by the double strike, Wednesday looked in control and might have made it three when our man-of-the-match Michael Hector slipped as he shot in the penalty area and the chance was missed.

However, the hosts were handed a lifeline with a penalty 10 minutes from time when Onomah was adjudged to have fouled Callum O’Dowda in the penalty box and Matt Taylor hammered home the spot kick.

The Robins pushed for an equaliser but, despite seven minutes of added time, there were few further major scares for Wednesday as we moved into the play-off placings before the international break and stretched our recent record to just one defeat in the last nine Championship games.

Wednesday: Dawson, Palmer, Lees, Hector, Pudil, Thorniley (Forestieri 58), Penney, Onomah, Bannan (Pelupessy 80), Reach, Fletcher (Joao 17).

 

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