Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Southampton: Further woe for Wednesday as Saints extend losing run

After four defeats in a row, there are signs that Sheffield Wednesday's decline is far from over.

Not only is the club locked in a battle to stay alive financially but things are getting worse on the pitch too.

Manager Alan Irvine needs to sort it out quickly because the patience of the club's supporters is starting to wear thin.

Only 18,198 attended this defeat to Southampton – the lowest for a league game at Hillsborough since his appointment eight months ago.

Thousands went home before the final whistle and around a hundred stayed on to chant 'Sack the Board' outside.

With pressure mounting to find a major new investor, this dip in form is seriously bad news.

Irvine believes 'hard work and preparation' are the best two ways to get out of this hole but some of his players also need a kick in the right direction.

Strikers Marcus Tudgay and Neil Mellor, for example, are far more gifted than their current performances suggest.

Others such as defender Lewis Buxton and midfielder Darren Potter appear to be suffering from crises of confidence which are leading to individual mistakes.

It was Buxton's sloppy pass to Potter that opened the door for Southampton striker Lee Barnard for the game's only goal.

Irvine insisted his side were 'comfortable' prior to the goal yet Barnard had just wasted an even better chance to score when heading wide from close range.

And there had also been a number of close calls for the Owls before half time, notably Nicky Weaver saving a Rickie Lambert header, and a ball across the six yard box that Barnard just failed to poke home.

Southampton goalkeeper Kelvin Davis was seriously tested only once before the break, by Mellor, but produced a brilliant save later on to deny Mellor after Tudgay's header came back off the post.

Towards the end, Southampton substitute Adam Lallana showed class and was a major threat but Owls substitute Clinton Morrison hit the post with the very last kick of the game!

The Owls also lost something at the back when captain Darren Purse was forced off following a bang to the head.

Reflecting on the afternoon's events, Irvine said: "I am bitterly disappointed. I felt we were quite comfortable at the time we gave away the goal. I am not saying we were terrific, but we were certainly comfortable enough.

"When we lost the goal, a lot of players found that a big, big knock to their own confidence. Lewis shouldn't have passed it where he passed it – he had plenty of other options and it was a poor decision. He knows he has made a mistake and he knows it has been a very costly mistake."

On his own situation, Irvine said: "Every manager is under pressure. You are under pressure when you are winning, never mind when you are losing. It is part of the job.

"If you don't want pressure and the weight of expectation, you don't become a manager. I am under pressure, the players are under pressure, everybody is. What we are going to have to do is cope with that pressure and work hard to turn things around.

"No-one will work any harder than we do as a staff and try and make sure the players are prepared in the best way for every game," he added. "If that hard work isn't good enough, we will be found out."

According to Irvine, there is a mixture of reasons why attendance levels at Hillsborough are dropping.

"Some will be making a point, some just couldn't get here," he said. "We still got a gate that a lot of clubs would be delighted with – and not just in our league!"

The Owls have less than 48 hours to prepare for another home game, tomorrow night, against Oldham Athletic.

Perhaps sensing that the temperature among supporters is on the boil, Irvine said: "We will look at Oldham and decide what is going to be the best team.

"One thing is for sure, any of the players that are picked are going to have real mental toughness. That will be one of the main characteristics I think about when I pick that team."

Defender Tommy Spurr and winger Chris Sedgwick were both dropped for the first time in the league against the Saints.

Daniel Jones did more good things than bad as Spurr's replacement but Gary Teale's delivery into the box was often erratic.

Striker Paul Heffernan was again left kicking his heels on the bench and has still not started a league game since moving from Doncaster Rovers.

The return of winger Jermaine Johnson, possibly next weekend after injury, will be another positive for the Owls; his electric pace adding a missing element in attack.

MATCH FOCUS

Hero: Rickie Lambert

The Southampton striker revelled on the Hillsborough stage and always looked comfortable in possession. Worked up and down the field and is undoubtedly Championship material. Southampton have struggled of late but Lambert is the sort of exciting player who can win games on his own.

Villain: Lewis Buxton

After being switched from full-back to centre-back at half time, Buxton's sloppy pass let in Southampton's Lee Barnard for the game's only goal.

Key moment

60th minute: With the scoreline goalless, Buxton ignores safer options to try a pass to Potter. Lambert nips in and puts Barnard through to score.

Ref watch

Graham Salisbury: Had a quiet game and never really put a foot wrong.

Verdict

Four consecutive defeats spell worrying times for the Owls who are sliding down the League One table. The jeers at the final whistle spoke volumes.

Quote of the day

If that hard work isn't good enough, we will be found out.

– Owls manager Alan Irvine lays it on the line after a fourth-successive defeat for his struggling Sheffield Wednesday side.

Next game

Sheffield Wednesday v Oldham Athletic, tomorrow, League One.

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