Michael Smith’s second-half strike lifted Wednesday to within two points of the Championship play-off places with a deserved 1-0 win at Swansea this evening.
In addition, victory took us up to eighth place in the table as we restricted Swansea to just one shot on target but had to survive a last-minute scare when the home side’s Jay Fulton netted but was ruled offside.
That would have been harsh on Wednesday as we looked the better team against a poor Swansea side on the night.
In a first half of few chances, neither side had a shot on target but Wednesday had two openings and both times they fell to Josh Windass.
He sh0t wide from the edge of the penalty area on 15 minutes after good build-up play from the Owls and seven minutes later dragged an effort across goal and past the far post.
James Beadle was hardly called into action at the other end with the home side managing just one off-target shot.
Beadle was soon in action at the start of the second half, saving a header from Myles Peart-Harris, before Stuart Armstrong tested home keeper Lawrence Vigouroux with a volley.
Then midway through the half came the all-important goal. Windass picked up a poor clearance by Harry Darling and when he played the ball into Smith the striker finished in style, curling a first-time shot past Vigouroux from just inside the box.
Smith almost made it two six minutes later, his header at the far post from Svante Ingelsson’s corner pushed away by the keeper.
Windass might have made sure of the three points on 90 minutes when played through by Shea Charles but his weak shot was saved and soon afterward the referee waved away appeals for what looked a definite penalty when Ibrahim Cissoko looked to have been brought down by Lewis O’Brien.
Then, with almost the last action of the game, Fulton stabbed home from close-in but, thankfully, was ruled offside by the linesman to ensure there was no repeat of West Brom’s late, late winner on Saturday … and sending Wednesday to within touching distance of the play-off positions after another win on the road.
Beadle, Valery, Ihiekwe, M Lowe, Johnson, Paterson (Armstrong 57), Charles, Ingelsson (Chalobah 88), Gassama (Cissoko 81), Windass, Ugbo (Smith 57). Unused subs: P. Charles, Valentin, Palmer, Otegbayo, J. Lowe.