Wednesday completed our pre-season friendlies with a 2-1 defeat to Premier League new boys Luton at Hillsborough this afternoon.
Michael Smith’s first-half penalty ended our previous run of three games without a goal and there was a starting debut for Juan Delgado, who played the first half, while loan signing Ashley Fletcher got his first taste of playing for the Owls when he came on as a sub 20 minutes from time.
We took the lead after just nine minutes when Callum Paterson was brought down in the box by Marvelous Nakamba and Smith fired his spot kick low into the corner of the net, despite the efforts of keeper James Shea.
Cameron Dawson kept out a strong free kick from Alfie Doughty soon afterwards but the visitors did level on 23 minutes with an angled drive from Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu across Dawson and into the far corner of the Kop net.
Delgado almost put Wednesday back in front five minutes before half time when Smith picked him out with a fine ball but although his clipped effort beat the advancing Shea it also went wide of the post.
Luton came out strongly at the start of the second half and went close to taking the lead three times in quick succession.
Sub Luke Berry missed a great chance, shooting wide from 12 yards when he should have scored, the same player was just off target soon afterwards and then Chiedozie Ogbene narrowly missed the target with an angled effort.
Wednesday, who made a host of changes during the second period, saw Smith’s near post flick from a Josh Windass low cross go wide on 66 minutes and that was about as good as it got for us in the second 45.
Then, with the game looking likely to end in a 1-1 draw, we gifted Luton an 83rd minute winner, the visitors seizing on Dominic Iorfa’s poor pass and Elijah Adebayo crossing for Carlton Morris to have the simple task of tapping home from six yards.
Dawson, Paterson (Palmer 76), Iorfa, Ihiekwe (Adetoro 79), Famewo, Vaulks (Shipston 76), Bannan (Glover 74), Delgado (Johnson 46), Byers (Bakinson 62), Windass (Wilks 70), Smith (Fletcher 70).