Sheffield Wednesday suffer damaging and humbling defeat at Forest Green Rovers

Sheffield Wednesday missed the chance to go back to the top of League One with a disastrous defeat at Forest Green Rovers.
By YP Sport
Published 26th Mar 2023, 15:33 BST
Updated 26th Mar 2023, 15:52 BST

​Wednesday, who lost for the first time in 23 League One games at Barnsley on Tuesday night, have now lost two in a row as their seemingly serene stroll towards promotion to the Championship has hit a significant bump in the road.

The defeat hands bottom club Forest Green their first win since December and a first under manager Duncan Ferguson.

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Tangled up: Sheffield Wednesday's Lee Gregory, right, and Forest Green Rovers' goalscorer Jordon Garrick challenge for the ball (Picture: Nigel French/PA Wire)Tangled up: Sheffield Wednesday's Lee Gregory, right, and Forest Green Rovers' goalscorer Jordon Garrick challenge for the ball (Picture: Nigel French/PA Wire)
Tangled up: Sheffield Wednesday's Lee Gregory, right, and Forest Green Rovers' goalscorer Jordon Garrick challenge for the ball (Picture: Nigel French/PA Wire)
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Jordon Garrick poked home a low cross from the right in the 35th minute to give Ferguson’s men the lead after a dominant first-half display from Rovers.

Second-placed Wednesday came close to equalising in the 67th minute but Lee Gregory was denied by the combined efforts of Ross Doohan and Udoka Godwin-Malife.

Doohan pulled off a fine save to repel Marvin Johnson as time ticked away, with Rovers finally off the mark under boss Ferguson, who replaced Ian Burchnall in late January. They are, however, 11 points from safety.

Wednesday remain two points behind Plymouth having now burned one of their games in hand, and what was a golden chance to re-establish the lead in the division after their commanding unbeaten run which encompassed half a season.

Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan whips over one of many unsuccessful corners (Picture: Nigel French/PA)Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan whips over one of many unsuccessful corners (Picture: Nigel French/PA)
Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan whips over one of many unsuccessful corners (Picture: Nigel French/PA)
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All they could muster in a pitiful display was late attempts at goal from Liam Palmer and Will Vaulks, the latter just dropping the wrong side of the post in stoppage time.

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Forest Green: Doohan, Bernard, Godwin-Malife, Cooper, Robson, McAllister, McGeouch, Bunker, Garrick (Omotoye 74), Peart-Harris (Bakayoko 88), Savage (O'Brien 90). Unused substitutes: Moore-Taylor, Thomas, Brown, McKenzie.

Sheffield Wednesday: Dawson, Iorfa (Hunt 46), Flint, James (Famewo 80), Palmer, Adeniran (Vaulks 64), Bakinson (Dele-Bashiru 64), Bannan, Johnson, Gregory, Smith. Unused substitutes: Brown, Shipston, Stockdale.

Referee: D Rock (Hertfordshire).

Related topics:Duncan FergusonLeague OneBarnsleyLiam Palmer