Sheffield Wednesday 2 Rochdale 0: Wednesday Cup switch is down to keeping eye on finances – Megson

Since multi-millionaire Milan Mandaric rescued the troubled Hillsborough club eight months ago, Wednesday’s financial fortunes have been on the upturn.

But after a summer of frustration in being priced out of the market for two strikers, the Owls are refusing to pay inflated fees and hoping common sense will prevail before the August 31 transfer deadline.

Three bids are ‘on the table’ for three players, a winger and two strikers, with Huddersfield Town’s Gary Roberts and Rotherham United’s Adam Le Fondre targets.

Megson points to his decision to take Sky’s £100,000 match fee to switch their Carling Cup tie to Thursday – less than 48 hours before a long trek to Bournemouth in League One – as proof the Owls have tight budgets to work within.

“People think we are the Manchester City of League One and we are not that,” he said. “We still have to have an eye on, obviously football, and finances, too.

“Hence we are playing on Thursday for no other reason other than Sky have given us £100,000. I wouldn’t do it ordinarily, I wouldn’t agree to it but we are where we are.”

The need to strengthen Wednesday’s attacking options was evident despite an impressive 2-0 win in front of 21,174 – the day’s fourth highest crowd in the Football League.

Captain Rob Jones headed home Julian Bennett’s long throw-in after 16 minutes before fellow summer recruit David Prutton blasted home a loose ball after Chris Sedgwick’s corner was only half-cleared.

Strike duo Gary Madine and Clinton Morrison worked hard up front but had little service and without the injured Jermaine Johnson the Owls lacked pace.

Wednesday had an early let-off when Nicky Adams’s effort looked goalbound but was deflected wide by Lewis Buxton.

Ashley Grimes came closest to scoring for Rochdale in the second half, beating goalkeeper Nicky Weaver only to see his curled shot bounce back off the post.

Buxton was also denied by the woodwork after connecting with a corner from Sedgwick, before Prutton’s strike secured victory.

Summer recruits Rob Jones, Danny Batth, Bennett, Prutton and Jose Semedo – free transfers apart from the loan arrival of Batth from Wolves – all impressed.

The defence looked solid but it was the hard graft of midfield pairing Semedo and Prutton which really caught the eye.

Sheffield Wednesday: Weaver, Buxton, R Jones, Batth, Bennett, Palmer (D Jones 90), Semedo, Prutton, Sedgwick (Otsemobor 85), Madine, Morrison (O’Connor 81). Unused substitutes: O’Donnell, R Johnson.

Rochdale: Kean, Darby, Widdowson, Holness, Trotman, Kennedy, Jones, Grimes, Adams, Tutte (O’Grady 72), Akpa Akpro. Unused substitutes: Lucas, Twaddle, Thompson, Marshall.

Referee: N MIller (Co Durham).

Man of the match: David Prutton.