Sheffield Wednesday 1 Exeter City 2: Loanee Jones proves his value after exit signals Owls downfall

The centre-half has impressed since his loan move from Scunthorpe and received a standing ovation when he was substituted on 69 minutes with the hosts leading by Jermaine Johnson’s tremendous individual goal.

Jones has been over-shadowed by Mellor – voted the club’s player of the season – when it comes to loan players’ impact at Hillsborough. Yet without Jones, 31, the Owls crumbled, conceding two sloppy goals and bringing a season of disappointment to a fitting end.

Owls chief Gary Megson hopes to make swift decisions on player recruitment and, if not Jones, will need a defensive leader in his mould. “Some of the football we played was the best in two months in the first half, particularly in the first 20 minutes,” he said. “But in the second half we were poor, gave away two goals and we have lost the game. When Rob Jones went off, we didn’t look like a defensive unit and it showed.”

Johnson had put Wednesday in front after 13 minutes, cutting in from the left, bamboozling two Exeter defenders before hammering the ball home from 20 yards.

Visiting goalkeeper Artur Krysiak denied James O’Connor twice, and 20-goal Mellor saw Richard Duffy clear off the line.

Once Jones departed, Wednesday looked vulnerable and Daniel Nardiello slotted an equaliser before Troy Archibald-Henville rambled towards a hesitant back-line before firing beyond Nicky Weaver, who was stretchered off with a head wound late on, after going up for a Wednesday corner.

Sheffield Wednesday: Weaver (O’Donnell 90), Otsemobor, R Jones (D Jones 69), Batth, Buxton, Teale (Potter 73), Miller, O’Connor, J Johnson, Mellor, Madine. Unused substitutes: R Johnson, Sedgwick, Palmer, C Morrison.

Exeter City: Krysiak, Tully, Duffy, Dunne (Tisdale 89), Archibald-Henville, Harley, Nardiello (Taylor 88), Golbourne, Cureton, Cozic (Nicholls 46), Sercombe. Unused substitutes: Edwards, Jones, Logan, Shephard.

Referee: A D’Urso (Essex).

Man of the match: Rob Jones.