Jones left impressed as Johnson strike sees Owls go second

Reda Johnson’s second-half goal sealed a vital victory for Wednesday and the result could have been more emphatic given the chances the visitors created.

And that was the only minor disappointment for the manager on an otherwise perfect day as the Owls overtook neighbours United and moved second.

Jones said: “I would say that is the best performance yet for me. We were very comfortable, we kept possession very well and in truth, Leyton Orient did not look like scoring.

“We won by the one goal and it might have been a lot more because we didn’t only have half chances but what I would describe as clear-cut chances.

“But we came here and did what we had to do and that was to get the win.

“We have won by one and it doesn’t really matter if it was one, two, three or four because the points were all that mattered. Now we go again because we have another big game next week.”

Jones made changes for the first time since he took the reins, handing starts to Reda Johnson, Jermaine Johnson, Miguel Llera and Chris O’Grady.

He explained: “I haven’t made any changes for the first four games but I thought the time was right to do that today.

“And not just one or two changes but more wholesale changes.

“I just felt we needed something to freshen us up.

“Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t but today it certainly did and I thought the players were magnificent.”

Wednesday raced out of the blocks in the sunshine of the capital, as Chris Lines on the left set up a diving header by Jermaine Johnson which went wide of Paul Rachubka’s post.

Reda Johnson got forward at every opportunity and was also more than capable at the back.

The Owls, on balance, were the better side going forward and had threats on both flanks with Jermain Johnson and Michail Antonio, who was found with a glorious left hand pass from left foot of Llera, before cutting in from the left only to shoot weakly at the keeper.

Wednesday, however, got their reward four minutes after the break.

Lines sent a free-kick diagonally from the left and Reda Johnson beat Rachubka at the second attempt after his initial downward header had been blocked.

Jones introduced recent loan signing Nile Ranger as a second-half substitute and he had a number of chances to seal the win.

Fellow loan signing, former Sheffield United and Burnley winger Keith Treacy also saw action late on.

Leyton Orient: Rachubka, Chorley, Cuthbert, Forbes, Cox, Reed (Porter 67), Lisbie, McSweeney, Smith, Leacock (Laird 79), Campbell-Ryce (Andrew 87). Unused substitutes: Ben-Youssef, Mooney.

Sheffield Wednesday: Bywater, Buxton, R Jones, Llera, R Johnson; Semedo, Lines, Antonio, J Johnson (Treacy 79), Madine (Lowe 87), O’Grady (Ranger 61). Unused substitutes: Jameson, Beevers.

Referee: D Drysdale (Lincolnshire).

Man of the match: Reda Johnson.