Wednesday made it three wins in a week to keep up our play-off push in a hard-earned 2-0 success at Burton this afternoon.
Goals in each half from George Byers and Sylla Sow were enough to earn us another victory, taking Wednesday up to seventh and within three points of sixth-placed Wycombe, although the gap looked like being even smaller until Oxford scored two late goals to turn a 2-1 deficit against Portsmouth into a 3-2 win, moving them up to fifth and staying four points clear of the Owls.
Callum Paterson had the first opportunity of the game, heading well over after just five minutes and both sides struggled to come to terms with the blustery conditions and poor playing surface.
That was reflected in it taking another 25 minutes for the next threat at either end but when the opportunity did present itself it was an opening goal for Wednesday.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing received a short corner from Barry Bannan and when his fierce drive across goal came back off keeper Ben Garratt, George Byers was there to fire home the loose ball from close range for his second goal in two games.
Jacob Maddox sent a 20-yarder straight at Bailey Peacock-Farrell almost from the restart but Wednesday went close to doubling our lead just before the break, Garratt saving Jordan Storey’s close-in stabbed effort from Mendez-Laing’s corner.
We continued to dominate proceedings after the break, Mendez-Laing breaking clear but delaying his cross too long and failing to find Paterson who was free in the centre of the penalty area. Then another chance went begging on the hour when Massimo Luongo turned to shoot 12 yards out but sent his effort over the bar.
In a rare Burton attack, they almost grabbed an equaliser on 76 minutes. Storey was caught out by a long, high clearance and Harry Chapman seized on the opening but was foiled by the outstretched leg of Peacock-Farrell
And four minutes later it was 2-0 to the Owls, Bannan drilling in a shot-come-cross from the left-hand side of the box and Sylla Sow getting the final touch.
Burton staged a late rally with sub Christian Saydee cracking an angled shot against the post and then bringing two excellent close-range stops out of Peacock-Farrell to ensure we collected another three points and a third successive clean sheet.
Peacock-Farrell, Storey, Hutchinson, Palmer, Hunt, Luongo, Byers (Kamberi 73), Bannan (Brennan 90), Johnson, Mendez-Laing (Sow 74), Paterson. Unused subs: Wildsmith, Brown, Waldock, Berahino.
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