Sheffield Wednesday 0 Burnley 2: Owls back in trouble as Treacy delivers on his return

The Burnley winger broke the deadlock yesterday on 63 minutes with a 25-yard effort, won the 75th-minute penalty which Ross Wallace converted and was only denied a second goal when he smashed a shot against the woodwork in stoppage time.

It brought the Owls’ four-match unbeaten run to a crunching halt in front of 23,677 fans, and left Owls manager Dave Jones to ponder what might have been.

Jones had revealed to the Yorkshire Post before Burnley’s visit that he had wanted to make Treacy’s loan spell permanent in the summer after the winger helped the Owls to League One promotion.

But he was thwarted as Wednesday would not meet Burnley’s asking price, and yesterday paid a costly penalty as defeat sent Jones’s side back into the Championship drop zone.

Jones now needs some wheeler-dealing in the January transfer market and, after Owls failed to score in two successive games, the need for a striker is clear to see.

“We are so disappointed because we’ve worked so hard over a short period of time and we had a great opportunity to get three points at home and really get ourselves close to that pack,” he said.

“I just don’t think we got going. I think we looked flat.

“We just seemed to lack a bit of a spark and nobody seemed to get the game by the scruff of the neck.

“We were dropping too deep, I was screaming at them to squeeze the game.”

The Owls recalled left-back Joe Mattock in place of the suspended Reda Johnson, while striker Gary Madine dropped to the bench, on-loan Mamady Sidibe coming in. Burnley were missing injured top scorer Charlie Austin.

The visitors were first to show, forcing a couple of early corners from the impressive Wallace, and right-back Kieran Trippier went close to opening the scoring in the 12th minute.

He was allowed space to drive at the Owls’ defence and let fly from 30 yards, only for the crossbar to rescue a beaten Chris Kirkland at the Kop end.

Michail Antonio and Jeremy Helan combined to pick out Kieran Lee at the far post and his header looked to be sneaking in at Lee Grant’s near post only for the former Wednesday goalkeeper to tip the ball around a post.

At the other end, visiting captain Jason Shackell was left looking skyward after his volley zipped the wrong side of Kirkland’s crossbar.

Burnley were forced into a change five minutes before the interval, striker Martin Paterson limping off to be replaced by Treacy.

Helan looked Wednesday’s best outlet, and the Frenchman tore through Burnley’s defence at the start of the second half but visiting defender Michael Duff twice charged down shots from Lee, then Antonio, to avert the danger.

Burnley’s Sam Vokes headed a tantalising cross from Trippier wide, Kirkland tipped away an ambitious 30-yarder from Wallace, and at the other end Grant had to be alert to rush out and dive at the feet of the onrushing Antonio.

Wednesday were struggling to create any clear-cut chances, though, with Jones throwing on Chris O’Grady for Sidibe.

But it was the Clarets who made the breakthrough in the 63rd minute.

Wallace tangled with Llera, and when the ball broke loose Treacy fired in a low shot through a crowd of legs which caught Kirkland wrong-footed.

It was the first goal Wednesday had conceded in five games, and the score was soon 2-0 when Wallace converted from the penalty spot. The spot-kick was awarded after Treacy’s left-wing cross was blocked by the hand of Lewis Buxton.

That seemed to knock the stuffing out of Wednesday, who were fortunate not to concede a third goal when 24-year-old Treacy’s well-hit shot struck the inside of a post before rebounding to safety in stoppage time.

“It’s good to see him enjoying his football,” said Burnley manager Sean Dyche.

“He showed moments (yesterday) – and I think there’s a lot more to come.”

Sheffield Wednesday: Kirkland, Buxton, Llera, Gardner, Mattock, Prutton (J Johnson 72), McCabe, Lee, Helan, Antonio, Sidibe (O’Grady 59). Unused substitutes: Bywater, Taylor, Jones, Corry, Madine.

Burnley: Grant, Trippier, Lafferty, Duff, Shackell, McCann (Edgar 61), Wallace, Stock (Bartley 90), Vokes, Peterson (Treacy 41), Ings. Unused substitutes: Jensen, O’Neill, Stewart, Long.

Referee: D Webb (Lancs).

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