Weekend Review: Sheffield Wednesday post warning to rivals as Leeds United deliver perfect riposte

Wednesday moved back into the play-off positions – after starting Saturday’s game in seventh place after Fulham beat Ipswich Town – following an outstanding 2-1 victory over the second-placed Magpies.

The win secured a famous double over the Tynesiders, who spurned the chance of returning to the summit after losing on their travels in the league for the first time since January 2.

In a week which started with the Owls and head coach Carlos Carvalhal under the microscope following a worrying run of one victory in seven matches, the Hillsborough outfit have been provided with a much-needed shot in the arm by way of back-to-back victories.

The manner of Saturday’s win over Newcastle provided considerable gloss for the Owls and Wallace, who set up Tom Lees’s second-half opener against Rafael Benitez’s side, says that the performance is the template for the club to follow in the final five regular-season matches of what has been a fluctuating campaign.

Wallace said: “I think that was our performance of the season and it is the best we have played and it has come at a really good time. That will give us something to build on.

“If we put (more) performances like that in, the rest will just take care of itself.

“It has come at a good time and we are starting to find a bit of form. But we know that we have players coming back. (Gary) Hooper is such a big player for us and was outstanding and he makes other people play better around him as well.

“We looked like a team who were playing at the top end of the table. The next game is Cardiff and that is the next step for us. We want to put that performance in against Cardiff.

“We are not thinking about play-offs yet. There are still loads of points to play for.

“It is the nature of the performances we are looking for and if we can put that performance in for the rest of the season, then I am pretty sure we will be there.”

Leeds United were also savouring a significant weekend victory with a sweet 3-0 Roses win over Preston helping to vanquish memories of back-to-back losses at Reading and Brentford.

A 14th home victory of the season at Elland Road enabled fourth-placed United – just a point behind Reading after their shock 7-1 thrashing at Norwich – to register their best haul of league wins at Elland Road in a single second-tier season since Howard Wilkinson led the club to promotion in 1990.

After witnessing inhibited displays in their previous two outings, head coach Garry Monk professed delight at his side rediscovering their intensity and focus – with the result representing the perfect lift ahead of Good Friday’s trip to Newcastle, who could be without top-scorer Dwight Gayle, after he went off injured at Hillsborough.

Monk – who will monitor the fitness of captain Liam Bridcutt ahead of the St James’ Park trip after he missed the weekend game with an Achilles injury – said: “There was a team focused on football and a team focused on trying to do their best. They were not thinking of where they were in the league or where a win leaves us.

“The key with them is always focusing on what they are capable of. If they focus on that, they give themselves the best chance of winning games. We have shown for most of the season exactly how capable this group can be and what their potential is.”

Third-placed Huddersfield Town failed to build on their fine midweek win over Norwich after going down to their second successive away loss to a relegation-threatened side by losing 2-0 at Nottingham Forest.

The defeat was Town’s third in four games and has all but extinguished any hopes of gate-crashing the top two and candid head coach David Wagner acknowledged that he and his players must share the blame for the disappointing performance – which saw the visitors struggle to cope with an energetic Forest side.

Wagner, whose side welcome Preston on Friday, said: “From the set-up and the tactical point of view, I have to raise my hands; with our set-up, we could not compete. But my players also know they were not good enough.

“We were not good enough and deserved the defeat, we have to accept it, move forwards and focus on the next six really important games in front of us.

“We have to make sure we perform well and collect points; the race for the play-off places is still underway.

“We will do everything to occupy one of these play-off places at the end of the season, but for this we have to play better than we did.”