Sheffield Wednesday 1 Fulham 0: Owls’ run gathers pace as Madine knocks out Fulham

Not since February 18 have Sheffield Wednesday suffered defeat.

Nineteen long games, encompassing victories over League One sides, tougher Championship opposition and now a steady Premier League outfit.

This victory over a Fulham side that looked like they wanted to be anywhere but Sheffield was not one of the more important of the 17 that Dave Jones has overseen since succeeding Gary Megson at the start of March.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But it was another convincing performance from a side that has developed the winning habit.

Defeat will come one day, but while the all-too infrequent summer sun shines, Wednesday are making hay.

These are promising times for the Owls. Flying high in the embryonic Championship table, they play with a fearlessness befitting a team that has long since forgotten what it feels like to trudge into the dressing room having been vanquished.

Fulham themselves have enjoyed a promising start, with a thrashing of Norwich and a gallant defeat at Manchester United.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Indeed, between them in their collective six games prior to last night, Fulham and Wednesday’s fixtures had featured an average of five goals per match.

The Owls needed only one last night to book their place in the third round of the Capital One League Cup.

It was a Gary Madine penalty on 49 minutes that separated the teams on the scoreboard, last season’s top scorer getting off the mark for the new campaign.

Out on the pitch, though, Wednesday dominated in all areas; from Miguel Llera at the back, through Jose Semedo in midfield, the canny running of Chris Maguire along the line, and the sheer pace of Michail Antonio, who frightened the life out of Fulham.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But for a few tasty challenges from Steve Sidwell and Chris Baird, and a disallowed header by Brede Hangeland, Martin Jol’s side offered little.

And it was not as though this was a significantly weakened Cottagers team.

Jol had made four changes to the side that lost at Old Trafford, with Clint Dempsey and Mousa Dembele both absent as they near the exit door in the closing days of the transfer window.

One of the five changes made by Jones was in goal where Stephen Bywater replaced Chris Kirkland, though the Owls boss could have opted for no goalkeeper at all given the paucity of chances the Premier League side created.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Both sides were guilty of paying the other a little too much respect early on – Fulham for the start Wednesday had made, and the Owls for the Londoners’ Premier League status.

Wednesday gradually took charge, Semedo and Antonio the most dangerous men on the ball with Nejc Pecnik showing an array of neat flicks and touches.

And it was Antonio who belatedly invited one of the goalkeepers into the action on 35 minutes.

With Fulham’s Alex Kacaniklic dwelling on the ball inside his own half, Antonio robbed him and drove at the heart of the defence, forcing a smart save from Mark Schwarzer with a 20-yard drive.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Moments later, Maguire volleyed a cross into the box that Madine could only head straight at Schwarzer.

Wednesday kept probing but to no avail.

Giles Coke released Antonio down the right for one of his countless thrusting runs, but when he cut inside onto his left foot he blazed over. Then Maguire’s cross from the right almost brought a chance for Madine but Schwarzer was out quickly to thwart him.

Wednesday began the second half with the same desire, and but for a goalline clearance by Aaron Hughes after a close-range shot from Mark Beevers, would have had the lead.

No matter, for the Owls were rewarded for their greater urgency on 49 minutes when Maguire was felled in the box as he attempted to turn Stephen Kelly, and Madine drilled the spot-kick home low and hard. Wednesday survived a scare when Hangeland’s close-range header from Kacaniklic’s inswinging free-kick was ruled out for offside.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Another Hangeland header from a corner sailed over before substitute Marcello Trotta at last tested Bywater with a glancing header.

But Jones threw Spanish striker Rodri on for Maguire to keep Wednesday on the front foot and it was Pecnik who nearly doubled the lead with an 18-yard drive that skimmed the top of the crossbar.

A Championship side defeating a Premier League team often gets classed as a shock.

Such was the comfort and confidence of the Owls, though, compared with the listlessness of Fulham, that this result should not be seen as one.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sheffield Wednesday: Bywater; Buxton, Llera, Beevers, Jones; Antonio, Semedo, Coke, Pecnik; Madine, Maguire (Rodri 68). Unused substitutes: Jameson, R Johnson, McCabe, Mayor, Lee, Lavery.

Fulham: Schwarzer; Kelly (Riether 71), Hangeland, Hughes, Briggs; Duff, Sidwell, Baird, Kacaniklic; Rodallega, Kasami (Trotta 63). Unused substitutes: Stockdale, Ruiz, Diarra, Riether, Halliche, Smith.

Referee: P Tierney (Lancashire).