Sheffield Weds 3 Preston 1: Proud father Pudil delivers in style as Owls enjoy home comfort

For the Owls left-back rushed to hospital at 3am on Saturday morning to be with his girlfriend as she gave birth at 5.20am.

The 30-year-old, who had been an injury doubt all week after limping off at Brentford, then had to pass a morning fitness test before being given the green light to play.

But the on-loan Watford defender capped off “one of the best weekends of my life” with his first goal in Wednesday colours in a comprehensive 3-1 win at Hillsborough.

“It was a difficult day, and a difficult week,” said Pudil.

“I had been injured since the last game, and I didn’t know if I would be able to play in the game.

“My girlfriend was pregnant, and this morning I went to hospital and watched my daughter being born. I went back to bed, slept a couple of hours, and then headed to the training ground for a medical test.

“I had only had one training session during the week and we didn’t know if I would be able to play the game. We decided to go for it, and I was really happy we did because the game was perfect. I scored a goal and we celebrated with the team.

“It is one of the best weekends of my life. My daughter came, I was able to play in the game, and scored a goal.

“I am really proud of my missus, too. It was really tough for her. When I was playing, after about 75 minutes I was really struggling, but I was thinking about her and how she had delivered a baby. The Championship is a hard league, a high tempo, and I had only had one training session.”

After wins over Fulham, Newcastle United and Brentford, Owls coach Carlos Carvalhal made just one change, striker Fernando Forestieri back after a calf injury.

Preston included Stevie May and Will Keane up front – the strike duo who were plying their trade for the Owls last season.

But neither threatened to incur the curse of a former striker returning to punish an old club, and both were substituted just after half-time.

It was a quiet opening 45 minutes, Wednesday failing to break down a resolute and hard-working Preston team.

But a piece of magic from Forestieri, a deft flick in stoppage time, sent Kieran Lee scuttling towards goal and the Owls midfielder finished with ease to celebrate his 100th appearance for Wednesday in style.

The goal forced the visitors to open up, and Wednesday were good value for their 2-0 lead, when Pudil pounced on 53 minutes.

The impressive Barry Bannan had already forced goalkeeper Jordan Pickford into a stunning save, Forestieri’s follow-up was blocked by Calum Woods, and Tom Lees headed wide.

Pudil seemed to be chasing a lost cause, but two Preston defenders got in a tangle, and the Czech Republic international kept his calm to stroke the ball into the net. Striker Atdhe Nuhiu applied the finishing touch, but the ball had already crossed the line.

The visitors had nothing to lose now, and should have scored more than the solitary strike from Alan Browne, who turned to fire low and hard under goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.

Former Chesterfield striker Eoin Doyle missed a sitter, heading wide, unmarked in front of goal; Westwood denied John Welsh and Lee cleared off the line from Adam Reach.

The goal of the game, though, was yet to come.

In five minutes of stoppage time, goalkeeper Pickford went up for a corner, but once the ball was cleared, Wednesday quickly surged forward.

It was left to substitute Lewis McGugan to produce a brilliant long-range lob over the back-pedalling Pickford, which dipped just under the crossbar.

Not only was this Wednesday’s fourth successive win, but it also helped to make their poor Hillsborough record of last season a fading memory.

Under Stuart Gray, the Owls won just five Championship games in S6, scoring a miserly 16 goals in 23 games. This term already, Carvalhal’s side has won three of their five home games, and scored 10 goals.

“Winning four games in a row is the best feeling,” said Pudil, the former Sparta Prague youngster.

“We didn’t play that well in the second half, we struggled a little, but we won the game and that’s was most important.

“Everyone feels really good and now we have the international break and can have a rest.”

Going into that two-week break, the Owls have 15 points from their opening 10 games and sit just three points behind third-placed Reading.

Last season after 10 games, Wednesday were actually a point better off with 16, in ninth and four points off the top.

But after suffering a 7-0 mauling at Manchester City in the League Cup, Gray’s team embarked on a 10-game winless run which left them stranded in mid-table.