A Carlos Edwards thunderbolt took the Blues to a 1-0 victory at Sheffield Wednesday and out of the bottom three. The Trinidadian struck just before the quarter hour with Town unlucky to have a late Jon Walters header ruled out for a push.

As expected, boss Roy Keane gave a Town debut to Brian Murphy in goal and a league debut to 19-year-old Shane O’Connor at left-back. The Irish youngster previously featured in the Carling Cup tie at Shrewsbury in August.

David Wright returned at right-back and Carlos Edwards at right midfield with Jon Walters joining Daryl Murphy up front. Liam Rosenior, Arran Lee-Barrett, Owen Garvan and David Healy dropped out.

On a pitch looking much like a Sunday park surface, the home side almost went in front within seconds of the start. As in the second half at Peterborough, the Blues surrendered possession from the kick-off and Marcus Tudgay struck a powerful 25-yard shot which debutant Murphy did well to push away from under his bar.

The game’s opening spell was scrappy but the Blues won a number of throw-ins, which Carlos Edwards propelled into the area. On 10, one of these found Damien Delaney unmarked but the former QPR man headed wide when he ought to have tested Lee Grant in the Owls goal.

Four minutes later, the Blues went in front. Town broke quickly with Jack Colback finding Grant Leadbitter, who fed Edwards on the right. The Trinidad international brought the ball towards goal before hammering a 25-yard shot which appeared to beat keeper Grant before he had even seen it. It was Edwards’s first goal for the Blues since his summer move from Sunderland.

On 20 a loose ball fell to Jack Colback inside the area but his shot was too close to the keeper. A minute later, a corner was cleared to Leadbitter, but his volley flew just wide of Grant’s goal.

Town had been well on top since the goal, but in the 27th minute Tudgay managed to find himself space on the edge of the area and hit a shot which beat Murphy but struck the top of the bar.

Wednesday were starting to come back into the game and in the 31st minute Etienne Esajas crossed from the right, Tudgay knocked the ball back into the danger area and a combination of McAuley and keeper Murphy blocked close in from Michael Gray.

Delaney looped a loose ball over on 36, then at the other end Luke Varney hit a shot across the face of goal on the turn.

Colback lashed high and wide in the 42nd minute when he might have done better, then two minutes later the Sunderland loanee was fed down the left by O’Connor and crossed low to the edge of the six-yard box from where Daryl Murphy hit the outside of the post.

Town were good for their lead at the break, although they could well have been behind within the first minute had Brian Murphy not saved from Tudgay. After the Blues had gone in front, they enjoyed a spell when they might have added to their lead, while Wednesday came back into the half late on when both sides hit the woodwork.

Prior to the start of the second period, the Town players held a warm-up session with fitness coach Antonio Gomez at the side of the pitch, keen to avoid a repeat of the second half collapses of recent weeks.

Frank Simek curled an early second half freekick over as Wednesday began the stronger of the two teams.

On 53 Jack Colback was unlucky that a deflection on his shot from 25 yards made little difference to its direction and Grant claimed. Two minutes later, Delaney hit the bar with a header but referee Mick Russell had whistled for a push.

Just before the hour mark, Town nearly went two in front. Edwards used his not inconsiderable pace to break from halfway into the penalty area before hitting a low shot which Grant somehow managed to get a finger on to push just past the post.

The Blues were getting back on top and Daryl Murphy was unfortunate not to get more on a header at the far post.

Brian Murphy pulled off probably his best save of the afternoon in the 68th minute, quickly coming off his line to bravely block from Leon Clarke at point blank range with the substitute striker in space only eight yards out.

Wednesday were starting to put the Blues under pressure but without showing too much quality. On 75 McAuley headed one of a succession of corners away from under the Town bar. Daryl Murphy was by now Town’s lone striker with Jon Walters switching to a wide left role.

Town looked to have sealed the victory in the 84th minute when Jon Walters headed home Grant Leadbitter’s corner on the left but referee Russell appeared to indicate that he had spotted a push, which seemed very harsh on the Blues’ skipper.

Varney put Wednesday’s final chance of the game wide with the Blues seeing out the final moments relatively comfortably, Connor Wickham making a late appearance as a sub for Daryl Murphy, who failed to score for Town for the first time since his move.

However, the Irishman is unlikely to be too disappointed with the Blues picking up a deserved victory against a very uninspired Owls side, which on the evidence of Town’s last two games are a considerably worse team than Peterborough.

While never a classic game of flowing football, something unlikely given the clubs’ situations and the dreadful pitch, the Blues battled away, defended stoutly and created themselves enough openings to be worthy of their win.

Gareth McAuley and Damien Delaney were again rocks at the centre of the defence, while debutant Brian Murphy put in an assured and impressive display in goal, claiming everything in the air and pulling off one or two fine saves. His kicking was a touch wayward on occasion, but when he did make proper contact, the ball travelled some distance.

Shane O’Connor looked far from overawed by his league debut and seemed by no means out of place, sending in a number of decent left-footed crosses and only once being bettered by Wednesday’s right midfielder Esajas.

Edwards took his goal superbly and was unlucky not to net a not dissimilar second after the break, while Walters’s header looked a perfectly good goal.

The ideal result and performance after the midweek defeat at Peterborough, taking the Blues up to 19th ahead of the trip to Scunthorpe a point and a place ahead on Tuesday, the last of the four away games on the trot.

Town: B Murphy, D Wright, O’Connor, Delaney, McAuley, Leadbitter, Norris, Edwards, Colback, Walters, D Murphy (Wickham 90). Unused: Lee-Barrett, Balkestein, Couñago, Healy, Quinn, Peters. Att: 21,641.

Photo: Action Images

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