Analysis: Dynamic Barry Bannan inspires Sheffield Wednesday to positive response in Carabao Cup

After stinking the place out in a rancid opening-day performance at Deepdale – when all was certainly not quiet on the Preston front among 5,700 nonplussed Wednesdayites – providing supporters with some choice payback was simply non-negotiable ahead of a key three-match run of games on home soil.

Wednesday provided a welcome instalment of that in the first outing last night, while also erasing memories of their write- off of a performance in their recent friendly with Rangers, who had governed proceedings in a ultra-comfortable 2-0 success on July 30 when it seemed like they had the run of Hillsborough.

Ponderous and listless in their previous two matches, Carlos Carvalhal’s side were expressive last night and clearly looked to be enjoying themselves too, with the handbrake off and even a touch of swagger back.

That was exemplified in a wonderful third goal to kill the tie 15 minutes from time by Barry Bannan, whose lovely weaving run and sublime strike into the top corner was worthy of the admission money alone for the majority of the 11,682 who braved some wretched weather.

There was also time for a touch of theatre for the sparse crowd in an eventful late cameo for Sam Hutchinson, who scored a rare Hillsborough goal before donning the gloves in the final few minutes of the match after Joe Wildsmith was stretchered off, with the hosts having used all their replacements.

That a strong-looking home line-up had too much in the locker for Chesterfield was not necessarily a surprise – and the gulf in class between both sides was soon obvious.

But the Owls’ enterprise and also character – particularly in quickly turning around a one-goal deficit after going behind to a 38th-minute penalty from Kristian Dennis – to lead 2-1 at the break was a welcome shot in the arm.

Goals from Gary Hooper and Steven Fletcher represented another clear tick in the box, with the pair significantly boosting their hopes of being partnered in Saturday’s encounter with QPR in the process. The sight of Bannan pulling the strings adeptly in midfield in an at times virtuoso showing was also a significant rewind, as was the sight of the Owls using the full width of the pitch and peppering the visiting goal with crosses.

Senior men in Bannan and Glenn Loovens had fronted up in branding the Owls’ last two performances as not being good enough, with Carvalhal accepting that it would have been impolite to disagree.

That was reflected in an experienced line-up far removed from the youthful side who bowed out in the corresponding round of the competition almost exactly a year to the day against another League Two side in Cambridge United, when Carvalhal changed all but one of his starting line-up from the opening Championship game of 2016-17.

In a tie laden with risk for the Portuguese, mindful of the boos and the sense of emerging discontent at the final whistle at Preston, he was pragmatic, making six changes but not at the expense of his side’s strength.

Assigned with getting back in supporters’ good books, Wednesday did that in a bright first-half in which they played the ball around with meaning and zip on a slick surface.

The pre-match message to his players from Carvalhal was clearly to be proactive and make things happen after the passivity of Preston, with an indicator of his own sense of urgency coming when he cajoled a ballboy to hurry up and return the ball.

The only blot in the first-half arrived seven minutes from the break when the Owls conceded a needless looking penalty as Daniel Pudil was penalised for a handball under pressure from ex-Wednesday forward Chris O’Grady, with Dennis coolly steering home the spot-kick.

But the Owls soon hit back, with Hooper clinically levelling from close range from a tight angle two minutes before the break after a cross from the recalled Almen Abdi found its way to him.

In stoppage time, a classic centre-forward’s header from Fletcher following a hanging cross from Jack Hunt which simply begged to converted was duly dispatched.

The Scottish striker had earlier been denied on three occasions by visiting keeper Joe Anyon. After a positive first half when the shackles were clearly off, the Owls attacked with further urgency on the restart, before finally fielding some belated pressure with Wildsmith making a smart save to tip over Dennis’ stinging drive before denying the same player.

Bannan’s stunning strike which whistled into the top corner eased any vestiges of potential nerves in a picture-book moment and after substitute Sam Winnall went close on two occasions, Hutchinson added a late fourth.

Sheffield Wednesday: Wildsmith; Hunt (Hutchinson 59), Lees, Pudil, Reach; Wallace, Jones, Abdi (Winnall 69), Bannan; Fletcher (Matias 76), Hooper. Unused substitutes: Dawson, Baker, Forestieri.

Chesterfield: Anyon; Wiseman, Hird, Maguire; Barry, McCourt, Reed, Donohue; Dennis; O’Grady, Ugwu (German 80). Unused substitutes: T Lee, Wakefield, Mitchell, Weir, McGinn.

Referee: R Joyce (Cleveland).