Three goals inside 13 second-half minutes saw Wednesday bounce back to form in impressive style at struggling Morecambe this evening.
We totally dominated the game, almost carbon copy headers from Josh Windass and George Byers followed by a clinical Michael Smith finish sealing a victory that keeps us in fourth place in the table, three points behind leaders Ipswich who come to Hillsborough on Saturday.
Smith, Alex Mighten and Reece James replaced Dominic Iorfa, Marvin Johnson and Tyreeq Bakinson after the 2-0 home defeat to Barnsley in our last outing and there was a minute’s silence as a mark of respect for Queen Elizabeth II before the match, followed by the national anthem.
Wednesday began the game in lively fashion but, totally against the run of play, Morecambe could – and should – have taken the lead on 12 minutes when Kieran Phillips shot too close to David Stockdale in a one-on-one, the effort proving to be their only one on target all evening.
Wednesday pushed forward time and again, man-of-the-match Barry Bannan sending Windass clear but his effort was pushed away by keeper Connor Ripley, the keeper then saving from James on 31 minutes after good work by Mighten and Michael Ihiekwe volleying just wide from the edge of the box.
Ryan Delaney headed narrowly off target at the other end but Wednesday responded with a curling Bannan effort as half time approached.
It was a similar story after the break with Smith hooking over from eight yards before Ripley saved from James, Smith again and Windass as we launched attack after attack.
Then, just as it looked like it could be one of those nights, Wednesday finally broke the deadlock with 20 minutes remaining as Windass rose at the near post to glance Bannan’s corner across goal and into the far corner of the net.
Sub Fisayo Dele-Bashiru forced another stop from Ripley but the keeper was beaten again on 78 minutes in a near action replay of the opening goal as Byers headed home Bannan’s corner.
Five minutes later it was 3-0, Windass setting up Smith inside the box and the striker cracking across Ripley into the far corner for his first league goal for the club, much to the delight of the sellout Wednesday contingent behind the goal.
The end-of-match statistics showed the Owls had chalked up 29 shots compared to the home side’s four, 11 of our efforts on target with just that one from an outclassed Morecambe side.
Stockdale, Palmer, Ihiekwe, McGuinness, James (Dele-Bashiru 64), Byers, Bannan (Vaulks 84), Mighten (Johnson 64), Windass (Iorfa 84), Gregory (Paterson 84), Smith. Subs: Dawson, Wilks.