Wednesday were given a dose of reality at Hillsborough today as our threadbare squad finished well beaten by a mediocre Stoke team.

The need for strengthening the side was there for all to see in a 3-0 defeat but, with EFL restrictions on recruitment, it’s difficult to envisage how this will happen until that long-awaited change of ownership.

Following the pre-game protests over owner Dejphon Chansiri, we got off to just the start we didn’t want when Stoke took the lead in the second minute.

Wednesday lost possession some 25 yards out, the ball found Million Manhoef and he cut in from the right inside the box before hitting a low shot between Pierce Charles and his near post.

Yan Valery then shot wide of the far post with an angled effort and Bailey Cadamarteri sent a header over the bar from Valery’s cross.

However, Stoke almost doubled their lead just before the half hour, Liam Palmer clearing off the line after Divin Mubama dinked the ball over Charles from close-in and  ex-Owls loanee Lewis Baker seized on the rebound but his 20-yarder cracked against the bar.

We failed to test Stoke keeper Viktor Johansson in the first 45 minutes and were then caught cold again at the start of the second half, this time conceding a second goal within 40 seconds of the restart.

Ben Willmot sent a long pass forward and the lively Sorba Thomas got there before the outrushing Charles before crossing for Mubama to head home from inside the six-yard box.

Wednesday gathered ourselves enough to force two saves in quick succession, Johannson denying Svante Ingelsson and Liam Palmer as we threatened to pull a goal back on the hour-mark.

Then, soon afterwards, Johansson came to the rescue again, producing a flying save to keep out an excellent overhead kick from Barry Bannan.

However, any hopes of a Wednesday comeback were well and truly ended on 69 minutes when Thomas broke clear again down the left and his low cross was bundled home by Manhoef at the far post.

There was no doubting the effort of the Owls players but the limitations in terms of the experience of our squad were shown up in our second Championship defeat in the first two games, only kept off the foot of the table by Sheff U because we have scored one away goal compared to their zero.

Charles, Valery, Iorfa, Otegbayo (McNeill 66), M Lowe (Weaver 90+2), Palmer (Johnson 84), Fusire (Kobacki 66), Bannan, Ingelsson, J Lowe (Ugbo 66), Cadamarteri. Unused subs: Stretch, Shipston, Thornton, Brown. Att: 21,683.