Wednesday began life back in the Championship with a 2-1 defeat to relegated Southampton at Hillsborough this evening.
There was a poignant minute’s applause before the match in tribute to Trevor Francis and Chris Bart-Williams, who passed away on the same day last month, and both sets of players also wore black armbands in a further mark of respect for the pair.
We then found ourselves a goal behind after just seven minutes when Nathan Tella sent in a curling effort from the edge of the box and it deflected off Adam Armstrong to take the ball out of the reach of Cameron Dawson and into the far corner.
The visitors then began to show why the teams were two divisions apart last season and Wednesday were totally outplayed for the rest of the first half, failing to have a shot on target, while Southampton strung together pass after pass across the Hillsborough pitch.
Dawson saved from James Ward-Prowse, Carlos Alcaraz was just wide from 20 yards and Callum Paterson cleared off the line from Jack Stephens as the Saints threatened a second goal.
However, the Owls began the second half with more aggression and energy and we equalised on 54 minutes when Dominic Iorfa headed Will Vaulks’ corner back across goal from the far post and Lee Gregory swept the ball into the corner of the Kop net from 10 yards.
It made for a far more competitive game for a period but Southampton began to regain control as the half wore on and hopes of us taking a point to mark our return to the second tier ended on 87 minutes. Ward-Prowse was allowed to run unmarked into the penalty area and when he squared the ball across goal ex-Sheff U man Che Adams was there to steer home from eight yards for their winner.
Dawson, Paterson, Iorfa, Ihiekwe, Famewo, Delgado (Fletcher 77), Vaulks (Palmer 77), Bakinson, Bannan, Windass (James 86), Gregory (Musaba 68). Unused subs: Charles, Valentin, Bernard, Wilks, Smith. Attendance: 28,558.