Sheffield Wednesday 3 Huddersfield Town 1: Double derby delight for Joao as Wagner’s new-look Town are made to suffer

The 22-year-old sealed a whirlwind week, which saw him win his first caps for Portugal, by coming off the bench to snatch victory for Sheffield Wednesday.

For 78 minutes it looked like Sean Scannell’s 53rd-minute header could secure a debut win for Town’s new head coach David Wagner.

The visitors’ high-tempo pressing game certainly ruffled the Owls’ feathers in a tetchy opening 45 minutes, where bookings outnumbered serious shots on goal.

But Wednesday’s strength in depth – which saw Joao, Gary Hooper and Lewis McGugan thrown into the fray after half-time – eventually delivered the goods.

It was a combination of Town’s tiring legs and the extra class of Wednesday’s attackers that brought two goals for Joao and one for midfielder Kieran Lee.

“It’s been a fantastic week for Lucas, after winning his first two caps for his country,” said Owls right-back Jack Hunt.

“We looked a little bit flat and couldn’t get the ball off them.

“When Lucas came on we started winning the ball back higher up the pitch and looked a good team.

“I don’t know why (we were flat), you could say it’s credit to them. Our 4-4-2 couldn’t cope, they didn’t really cause us many problems until the goal.

“That’s not good enough, though. For us, at Hillsborough; we need to go and win the ball back and take the game to teams, rather than sit back and let them play like that on our pitch.

“I thought they moved the ball very well, they caused us a few problems. We couldn’t get our shape and get the ball off them, they kept the ball really well.

“It took them to score for us to finally pull our finger out. When we did that, there was only going to be one outcome.

“The sign of a good team is when you win and don’t play well. For 70 minutes we didn’t play very well at all. But the last 20 minutes we did, and made it count.

“Lucas, in particular, came on and gave us a great outlet up front with his fresh legs. Two great goals and that’s what strikers get paid for, they are match-winners.”

Joao’s fellow striker, Fernando Forestieri, may not have scored, but he was instrumental in all three Wednesday goals.

After Scannell ghosted in at the back post to head home a cross from the impressive Kyle Dempsey, Owls boss Carlos Carvalhal threw caution to the wind with his attacking substitutions.

And it was Forestieri who unlocked the Terriers’ defence, the former Watford striker seeing his shot hacked off the line by Dempsey, only for Joao to tuck away the loose ball on 78 minutes.

Five minutes later and Forestieri squirmed away down the left again, this time picking out Lee, who fired home. With Town committing players forward looking for an equaliser, Forestieri broke away before playing in Joao, who delivered a curling effort beyond a stranded Joe Murphy.

Defeat keeps Town flirting with the relegation places, while the Owls are just a point off the play-off places.

“We want to be in the top six, that would be a massive achievement for the club,” said Hunt.

“The next challenge would be to stay there. We know there’s a lot of hard work, a busy fixture list in December; it breaks up the top teams and those that drop away. We just need to stay in there.”

Hunt came through the Town academy, making 121 appearances, so his reaction at beating the club he left to join Crystal Palace in 2013 was surprising. He said: “I love beating them, it’s the best feeling ever. I absolutely love it. I will leave it at that.”

He was less cryptic in his evaluation of a new-look Town, under Wagner. “I thought they were very good for 60 minutes,” he said. “They played a high-pressing game and it’s impossible to press for 90 minutes.

“You could tell they were playing for a new manager and had a spring in their step.”

Town will look back on Emyr Huws’s chance at 1-0, which was well-saved by goalkeeper Keiren Westwood, which would have given them a two-goal cushion.

As it was, the Owls imposed themselves to take the points with substitute Hooper glancing a header wide and then prodding the ball at Murphy.

There were plenty of positives to take for Town, though, and goalscorer Scannell is optimistic about the future under Wagner.

Scannell said: “We played well for the first 70 minutes, but then they opened up.

“When they put the subs on, they got momentum. Joao is a big guy and a really good player. He made the difference. We have a new boss and are adapting every day. He wants a fitness and pressing game, but we get the feel it’s going to be very good under him.

“As for me, I personally have to get fitter. Under this regime you cannot hide; the harder you train, the fitter you get. We are looking forward to it.”