Huddersfield Town 4 Sheffield Wednesday 0: Terriers make hay while sun shines as Owls implode

Certainly not all good from Sheffield Wednesday, whose performance in the second half of the second half had to be seen to be believed.

In a huge match of significance at the wrong end of the Championship, Wednesday simply went to pieces from a defensive perspective and conceded four goals in just 12 minutes.

In a game which had been going nowhere as such until the 68th minute, it was unfathomable and inexplicable against a home side, who lost expensive recent signings Rhys Healey and Bojan Radulovic.

Town made hay while the sun shone with Matty Pearson, Josh Koroma (2) and Sorba Thomas all netting.

It painted no-one in a yellow jersey in a good light, with some of their efforts in that period being inexcusable. Town won’t care a jot and why should they.

It was all-square at the interval and in truth, a goalless scoreline would not have surprised too many, given both these respective side’s form, league position and history of this fixture where goals are a precious commodity.

At the break, Wednesday were entitled to be feeling a touch more enthused, given their work going forward. Djeidi Gassama had his moments in particular.

Town, meanwhile, were afflicted by another unwelcome injury season in a season of injuries, among other things. Recent signing Healey, operating as a ‘ten’ in a 4-2-3-1 formation behind Radulovic, came off with what looked like a groin issue midway through the first half.

Thankfully, his replacement in Ben Wiles looked a sound one, it proved a coming-of-age game for him in Town colours. He announced himself by conjuring a half-decent chance for Town, with his probing pass picking out Sorba Thomas, whose effort was blocked at his near post by Jimmy Beadle.

The Owls loanee then earned a reprieve when he was away from his goal after coming out following a clever pass from Jonathan Hogg. Thomas’s cut-back was blocked, but arrived invitingly for Radulovic. He unfortunately delayed when well placed and Liam Palmer blocked well.

Wednesday looked more fluid and a little more convincing in their attacking raids.

A lovely early interchange between Ugbo and Gassama ended in the former seeing his goalbound curler blocked in the nick of time by the well-stationed Tom Lees, against his former club.

From Barry Bannan’s resulting corner, Michael Ihiekwe - who returned to the starting line-up alongside Michael Smith - saw his looping header cleared off the line by Healey.

Later on, Musaba blazed over after a poor pass out from the back initially from Lee Nicholls, while towards the end of the half, Gassama attacked Pearson and saw his effort blocked by Radinio Balker - on his full debut - before Nicholls gathered.

The onus was on Town to show a bit more on the resumption, in fairness.

Unfortunately the next main development was another injury-related one with Radulovic making way after being decidedly groggy after being accidentally caught in the face by Ihiekwe.

Following treatment, he tried to carry on, only to soon make way.

The opening quarter of the second period was forgettable.

Sensing this - and the importance of the game - a chant of ‘Come on Wednesday’ arrived from the away end as Town fans quickly responded. And then it happened.

Town were the ones to get something and how.

Pearson headed in Thomas’s corner at the back post. He was being marked by Musaba, a winger.

It soon become two, when Musaba lost the ball in the centre of the pitch and the excellent Wiles slotted in Koroma, who rounded Beadle before slotting the ball into the empty net.

Wednesday were at sixes and sevens. Pedersen switched off from Hogg’s free-kick and Thomas surged away and finished gleefully.

Incredibly, there was more. A short backpass from Bernard was seized on by Koroma - amid indecision from Ihiekwe and Beadle. Eventually he netted after rounding a couple of players.

The Owls’ ignominy was complete, with the away end virtually empty before the final whistle.

Huddersfield Town: Nicholls; Pearson, Balker (Jackson 82), Lees, Spencer, Matos, Hogg; Thomas, Healey (Wiles 24), Koroma; Radulovic (Diarra 58). Unused substitutes: Bellagambi, Edwards, Jones, Daley, Iorpenda, Falls.

Sheffield Wednesday: Beadle; Valentin, Ihiekwe, Bernard, Pedersen (James 82); Palmer, Bannan (Diaby 82); Gassama, Ugbo (Cadamarteri 63) Musaba (Poveda 73); Smith (Wilks 73). Unused substitutes: Charles, Vaulks, Famewo, Siqueira.

Referee: M Donohue (Greater Manchester).

Attendance: 21,067 (2.270 Sheffield Wednesday fans).