A second-half penalty from Barry Bannan saw Wednesday to a fourth consecutive league victory and move to within a point of the play-offs after a deserved win over second-placed Wigan at Hillsborough this evening.
Fellow challengers Oxford, MK Dons, Sunderland and Wycombe all dropped points tonight while we sit in seventh place on 52 points and only four behind Wigan, although they have three games in hand.
With another clean sheet also under our belts, it sets up a real South Yorkshire showdown with leaders Rotherham at S6 on Sunday in front of the Sky TV cameras.
Tonight’s all-important goal came on 53 minutes when Massimo Luongo went down under a challenge from Jack Whatmough after being played through by Bannan and the captain stepped up to fire home from the spot.
Wigan went close after just five minutes when Tom Naylor shot wide from eight yards before we responded soon afterwards when Liam Palmer tested keeper Ben Amos with a 25-yarder.
Jordan Storey was then just off target with a header from Jack Hunt’s corner before our best chance of the first half on 37 minutes as Bannan sent Marvin Johnson through to test Amos, the loose ball then bouncing off Florian Kamberi and to safety.
The visitors looked to have taken the lead shortly before half time when the impressive Callum Lang got away from Luongo, Tendayi Darikwa cracked the ensuing cross against a post and Magennis scored from the rebound, but we were saved by the linesman’s offside flag.
However, the second half was a different story with Wednesday taking that early lead and then looking far more likely to add to our advantage against a Wigan side who hardly threatened after the break.
Kamberi missed a good opening to make it 2-0 on the hour, his first time effort on the turn going just wide after fine link-up play between Bannan and Johnson.
Six minutes later Storey was again just too high with a header from a corner and Bannan was close to a second goal 10 minutes from time when Amos tipped over his 20-yarder, following an excellent run from sub Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.
Peacock-Farrell, Storey, Hutchinson, Palmer, Hunt, Luongo, Byers, Bannan (Brennan 90), Johnson, Paterson, Kamberi (Mendez-Laing 76). Unused subs. Wildsmith, Brown, Waldock, Berahino, Sow. Attendance: 20,210.