Sheffield Wednesday 1 Charlton Athletic 0 - Steven Fletcher ends Owls’ long wait at Hillsborough

When Barry Bannan and Fernando Forestieri weaving pretty patterns failed to have the desired effect, Garry Monk turned to his Sheffield Wednesday battering rams and secured only his side’s second Championship win of 2020. Just.
Owls' Steven Fletcher grabs an injury time winner. Pic Steve EllisOwls' Steven Fletcher grabs an injury time winner. Pic Steve Ellis
Owls' Steven Fletcher grabs an injury time winner. Pic Steve Ellis

It took until the fifth added minute, but Steven Fletcher pounced on a loose ball and headed it the couple of yards needed to cross the line. The Owls’ 1-0 victory was richly deserved but even on such a cold night, they managed to make 21,370 supporters sweat on it.

For an hour or so, it had all been beautifully cultured from the home side, but with no end product.

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In the end they forced through victory with bloody-minded determination and a scrappy goal far more enjoyable than all the fancy footwork which preceded it.

The minimum four added minutes had already been extended when Charlton Athletic committed a foul in front of the dugouts.

Liam Palmer played the ball in and when Tom Lees nodded it across, substitute Atdhe Nuhiu was all characteristic calamity and chaos, backing into his defender but failing to make contact with the ball. He did, though, clear a path for it to make its way to Fletcher, who scored his 13th and perhaps most important goal of the season.

Until he did, it looked like being another frustrating night in the Owls’ bleak midwinter.

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They had dominated all night long, playing with a confidence on the ball not befitting a team without a win in seven matches, but their final balls and finishing were entirely in keeping with a side who had not scored at home in open play since December 7.

Bannan, from just in front of the back four, and Forestieri, playing in the hole, conducted the first hour’s football between them. Charlton’s three central defenders were left with only Connor Wickham to deal with, their three central midfielders overrun. They were physical in their response, conceding plenty of fouls and corners the Owls were unable to take advantage of, and seeing Tom Lockyer and Adam Doughty booked inside the first quarter of the game.

Bannan and Forestieri directed most of the traffic right, but Josh Murphy struggled to make the most of being the centre of their attention.

He took perhaps the pass of the match on his chest from Bannan in the eighth minute, but his control pushed him out to a position he could not hit the target from. It would set the unfortunate tone for him and his team.

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Within the space of a minute he had a shot blocked, then saw the ball stuck under his feet in the area.

The lively Forestieri did more than anyone to keep Dillon Phillips on his toes, forcing his only two saves of the first period. While he did well to keep an outside-of-the-boot effort from going inside his near post, the chip which followed provided only routine catching practice.

A one-two with Bannan seconds after the restart ended with a shot into the side netting and when he carried the ball into shooting range in the 68th minute, he shot wide.

By then he had been forced to come in off the line by the introduction of Fletcher.

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The fit-again centre-forward justified it, though, with his instant impact.

He had only been on the field a few minutes when he brilliantly plucked an excellent Bannan pass out of the air, only for Phillips to rush off his line and block. When the ball came back in, Fletcher forced him into a much more difficult, flying save.

He saved low from Fox too as Wednesday’s frustration grew.

Charlton barely had a chance all night, but those they did have were excellent.

Lyle Taylor chested the ball down after 65 minutes and thumped a volley against the crossbar. George Lapsile’s half-volley was just as fierce, but less accurate.

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Tom Lees had to make as terrific block to stop Taylor scoring in the 75th minute.

Even in such a one-sided game, all three results looked possible. Bannan’s 89th-minute shot was straight at the goalkeeper.

Monk had thrown on attacking substitutes to try to get the one the football merited, first Fletcher, then Nuhiu, then Alessio Da Cruz.

Forestieri was the third player to make way, underlining the change of approach.

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Just as it was starting to look as though it was not going to happen, Fletcher pounced to ensure it did.

It was a big goal for him, a big goal for his team and a huge one for his manager. Things are up and running again.

Sheffield Wednesday: Dawson; Palmer, Lees, Borner, Fox; Murphy, Lee, Bannan, Harris (Fletcher 57); Forestieri (Da Cruz 79); Wickham (Nuhiu 75). Unused substitutes: Wildsmith, Iorfa, Pelupessy, Windass.

Charlton Athletic: Phillips; Matthews, Lockyer, Oshilaja, Pearce, Doughty; Cullen, Davis, Oztumer (Lapslie 57); Bonne (Green 75), Taylor. Unused substitutes: Purrington, Amos, McGeady,Smith, Hemed.

Referee: O Langford (West Midlands).