Wednesday put our ‘great escape’ hopes back on track with a 2-0 win at Queens Park Rangers this afternoon.
Second-half goals from subs Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba took us to within a point of safety (but two when you look at our far inferior goal difference) and, with two home games to follow, the victory keeps us in the pack battling for Championship survival.
We still sit in 23rd place but now on 42 points and only five behind Swansea in 15th … with five games to play.
Wednesday, with five changes from the starting line-up that performed so badly at Middlesbrough on Easter Monday, looked the side more likely to score in the first half, QPR having more efforts on goal but largely from long range.
Our first real opening came midway through the first half when Ian Poveda whipped the ball into the far post but Josh Windass somehow contrived to steer the ball back across goal and wide from almost on the line.
We then lost the influential Poveda soon afterwards with a muscle injury which manager Danny Rohl said could rule him out for the rest of the season.
Poveda’s replacement, Gassama, shot across goal and wide when well-placed inside the box and there were appeals for a penalty when the same player was brought down on the edge of the box by Isaac Hayden.
However, we did get the breakthrough just before the hour and it was Gassama the goalscorer, albeit in somewhat fortunate fashion.
He wriggled his way past QPR defenders as he dribbled in from the byline, the ball eventually broke to Hayden on the six-yard line but his attempted clearance hit Gassama and rebounded into the net.
The home side almost equalised when Lucas Andersen was left unmarked in the box but saw his angled drive hit the underside of the bar and to safety.
At the other end, Michael Smith brought a diving save out of Asmic Begovic but there was still the threat of a QPR equaliser with Jimmy Dunne and Lyndon Dykes both sending in dangerous headers.
However, the noisy travelling Wednesdayites could breathe a huge sigh of relief six minutes into added time. Gassama ran clear down the left and his pinpoint low cross was met by Anthony Musaba who sent the ball into the roof of the net to complete an excellent day for the Owls.
Beadle, Iorfa, Ihiekwe, Diaby, Famewo (Pedersen 80), Bannan, Palmer, Windass (Paterson 70), Poveda (Gassama 27), Ugbo (Musaba 70), Smith (Valentin 80). Unused subs: Dawson, Vaulks, Hendrick, Cadamarteri.