Sheffield Wednesday 2 Dagenham & Redbridge 0: Morrison opens Owls account

In the end, the actual result mattered little to the tiny Daggers, who have already achieved the unthinkable by arriving in League One.

Yet for the Owls, this was the start of a campaign it should never have been necessary to entertain – another trawl through some of England's footballing backwaters in order to procure a reversal of fortune.

At times, it was easy to forget just how far the Owls had fallen.

When over 23,000 supporters are in full voice, as they were just before kick-off, it can raise the hairs on the back of any neck.

And when the green, green grass of a fresh pitch has yet to be even scratched by the first sliding stud, the stage is fit for a Cup final.

But the reality for Wednesday is that they now have games against clubs like the Daggers, Rochdale, and Yeovil to 'look forward' to most weeks.

Only if they win promotion will they no longer feel like they are living through a nightmare.

Any nerves in the Wednesday camp were settled by two early goals in the space of two minutes.

The opener, in the 12th, was harsh on the Daggers as defender Scott Doe turned a shot from Giles Coke into his own net.

The second was far more impressive – highlighting the values of both a decent cross and a striker with an eye for goal.

Scottish international Gary Teale, a right-footed winger playing on the left, had delivered the corner which led to the first goal.

Teale's far post cross to Chris Sedgwick set up the second with the subsequent knock down turned home in style by Clinton Morrison.

As first impressions went, both Morrison and Teale ticked the right boxes.

So, too, Coke, a relatively unknown commodity, who slotted nicely into the centre of midfield.

Goalkeeper Nicky Weaver had a quiet start to life back at Hillsborough – which can only be a good sign – but he was nearly caught out by Roman Vincent's shot in the first half.

Better sides than Dagenham will cause far bigger problems for the Owls this season where doubts about defensive reliability still remain.

The cushion of a two-goal lead allowed the Owls to stay on top without needing to work overtime. Dagenham asked very few questions but that did not stop manager Irvine looking angry when he headed for the tunnel at half-time.

A brief series of corners late on had Owls fans biting their nails – it would have been interesting to see how their team reacted if their lead had been reduced.

Substitute John Nurse wasted the Daggers' best opportunity, heading the ball into the ground and over the bar at a corner.

Weaver's only meaningful save of the game arrived with nine minutes to go, the goalkeeper tracking back to claw Peter Gain's speculative shot from under his crossbar.

In truth, the Owls have probably been involved in tougher friendlies than this game during the summer.

The Daggers, who were playing Conference football just three years ago, looked short of ideas and limited in options.

But they still possessed the character not to fold in what was the second biggest game of the Essex club's history, after the promotion play-off final victory over Rotherham United at Wembley.

Irvine, who has not been with the Owls long enough yet to shoulder any real blame for their plight, admitted that his side's performance was far from faultless but described it as 'professional' in the circumstances.

"I thought we were terrific for 30 minutes when we got the two goals – we passed the ball well and movement was good – but then we got a bit careless," he said. "It was most important that we won the game. We could have played better but we went about it in a professional manner."

Irvine has extended the length of Wednesday's pitch by six yards and its width by four this summer in an effort to stretch other sides.

Does that mean Owls supporters will be getting more for their money? Not quite. But if it helps them move in the right direction, that is all that matters.

On Wednesday, the club will be represented in the High Court as they reply to a winding up petition served by HM Revenues and Custom.

It should be only a matter of procedure as the club reached agreement on a payment schedule going forward last week.

Yet, regardless of that, it is still another humiliation to add to a list that has steadily built up over the last decade or so. And there is still no sign of new investment – not serious signs at any rate

Sometimes, it must be lovely to be a club like Dagenham. For it is when a club starts to get rich and famous that the pressure and problems really start.

Sheffield Wednesday: Weaver; Buxton, Purse, Beevers, Spurr; Sedgwick, O'Connor (Potter 66), Coke, Teale (Jones 83); Tudgay, Morrison (Mellor 62). Unused substitutes: Heffernan, Jameson, Palmer, Otsemobor.

Dagenham & Redbridge: Roberts; Ogogo, Doe, Arber, McRory; Green (Nurse 65), Lewis, Vincelot, Gain (Scannell 88); Benson, Tomlin (Scott 73). Unused substitutes: Lewington, Antwi, Currie, Gwillim.

Referee: EL Ilderton (Tyne & Wear).

MATCH FOCUS

Hero: Clinton Morrison

The Owls' Republic of Ireland summer signing from Coventry City got a surprise start and marked his debut with a goal and showed promising signs despite a shortage of match practice.

Villain: Tony Roberts

But only a pantomime villain! Dagenham's veteran goalkeeper revelled in the attention his weight got from home supporters.

Key moment

12th minute: Giles Coke's shot takes a heavy deflection off Dagenham defender Scott Doe and gives the Owls the lead.

Ref watch

Eddie Ilderton: Must wish all games were as easy to referee as this. No controversies, no bad tackles, no bookings.

Verdict

The Owls started the season by picking up maximum points but will know there is plenty of room for improvement over the coming months.

Next game

Sheffield Wednesday v Bury, Carling Cup first round, tomorrow, 7.45pm.

Quote of the day

I understand that we are Dagenham and Redbridge, away at Sheffield Wednesday, and we are not going to get 10 chances.

– Daggers manager John Still takes the positives from defeat.

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