An added-time winner from Anthony Musaba saw Wednesday to a 1-0 victory at a windswept Stoke this afternoon and lifted us off the bottom of the Championship table on goal difference.
Cameron Dawson was the other hero of the day, saving Ryan Mmaee’s second-half penalty, the win taking us above Rotherham and eight points from safety.
The first half was an almost total non-event in difficult conditions, Wednesday mustering the only effort on target from either side on 36 minutes when Di’Shon Bernard’s header into the ground was easily taken by young keeper Tommy Simkin.
George Byers went closer five minutes into the second half when his close-range effort from a tight angle hit the outside of a post but Stoke, who went into the game without a win in five, came out with more intent after the break.
Dawson saved from Bae Junho on 57 minutes to thwart their first shot on target and five minutes later the home side were awarded a soft penalty. Dawson claimed a cross into the box only for referee David Coote to award a spot kick when Akin Famewo was adjudged to have pushed Josh Laurent as the ball came over.
However the keeper came to the rescue, diving to his left to save Mmaee’s shot and Barry Bannan was first to the loose ball to clear for a corner.
Sub Michael Ihiekwe then headed wide at the far post from a Will Vaulks’ corner before Dawson was in action again, saving Mmaee’s volley from close-in.
As the game approached the final 10 minutes, we went close to taking the lead when defender Michael Rose turned a low cross from Djeidi Gassama inches wide of his own goal.
However, Wednesday were not to be denied when, a minute into added time, three of Rohl’s second-half subs combined to ensure we grabbed those precious three points.
Michael Smith headed on to Gassama, he fed Musaba and the frontman turned his defender before striding through to slot the ball home past the advancing Simkin in front of the sellout 2,500 Wednesday fans.
It takes our recent run to seven points from the last three games, signals a first away win of the season and we now face a trip to Norwich on Wednesday evening, followed by an early six-pointer against fellow relegation rivals QPR at Hillsborough next Saturday.
Dawson, Palmer, Diaby, Bernard, Famewo (Ihiekwe 69), Vaulks, Byers (Smith 79) Bannan, Johnson, Windass (Gussama 79), Cadamarteri (Musaba 58). Unused subs: Vasquez, James, Valentin, Buckley, Fletcher,