Tommy Smith nodded the winner from close range eight minutes after the break as the Blues came from behind to beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 at Portman Road. Ross Wallace had put the Owls in front in the 19th minute but Freddie Sears equalised two minutes later.

Mick McCarthy made two changes to the team which started last week’s 2-2 opening day Championship draw at Brentford with Christophe Berra and Jonathan Douglas replacing Josh Emmanuel, who dropped to the bench, and Kevin Bru, who is out with a hamstring injury.

Berra was in his usual position at the centre of the defence with skipper Luke Chambers returning to right-back.

Left-back Jonas Knudsen and winger Ainsley Maitland-Niles made their home debuts, while Douglas was making his first league start for Town. Former Wednesday midfielder Giles Coke was on the bench.

Wallace saw an early shot deflect wide as the visitors looked the more threatening side early on.

In the fourth minute Marco Matias took the ball inside Chambers from the left before hitting a low shot which struck the post and fell safely for the Blues. Moments later, Douglas was booked for a late tackle midway inside the Town half.

The Blues started to make some impact at the other end of the field and on seven Daryl Murphy turned Maitland-Niles’s corner from the right towards goal but Owls keeper Keiren Westwood saved at his left post.

Town began to dominate, winning a number of corners, and on 11 Murphy curled a strike from the edge of the box that his Ireland team-mate Westwood palmed away.

Fraser went close on 18 after Maitland-Niles crossed deep from the right, the on-loan Bournemouth man’s shot deflecting off Jack Hunt and over. From the resultant corner the ball was flicked onto Sears but the Blues frontman was unable to get in a shot.

Despite the Blues having been on top, Wednesday went ahead in the 19th minute. Matias got the better of Smith on the Owls left and cut the ball across. Bialkowski was only able to get a hand to it and Wallace smashed the ball into the roof of the net.

But the lead lasted only two minutes. Wednesday skipper Glenn Loovens and Jeremy Helan allowed a Chambers long ball to bounce between them and Sears nipped in behind to slam a low shot between Westwood and his near post from a tight angle to claim his first goal of the campaign.

As the game moved towards the half-hour mark there was a lengthy stoppage to allow keeper Westwood - a Town target during Roy Keane’s time in charge - to undergo treatment after clashing with Maitland-Niles after Fraser had sent over a cross from the left. Eventually he was able to continue.

On 31 Cole Skuse made an important saving challenge as Matias looked to get onto Lucas Joao’s clever flick inside the area after the Portuguese forward had broken into the box on the left unchallenged.

Maitland-Niles moved into the centre of the midfield in the closing stages of the half with Sears switching to wide on the right as Town matched the visitors’ five-man midfield.

After the lengthy break for Westwood’s injury the game rather lost its momentum with chances rare at either end in the final 10 minutes of the half.

However, as the fourth official raised his board Sears nutmegged Helan and brought the ball to the edge of the box before hitting a deflected shot which Westwood claimed to his left.

Maitland-Niles moved to the left and Fraser to the centre for the remainder of injury time but the Blues were unable to create any more opportunities before the break.

After Wednesday had started strongly, the Blues got on top and the visitors’ goal came against the run of play. Having got back on terms with a goal the Owls management will have been less than impressed by, Town might well have pushed on but they lost their impetus after the break for Westwood’s injury and only rarely threatened in the final minutes of the half.

The Blues started the second half brightly and on 47 Fraser broke into the box and was bundled over claiming a penalty, however referee James Linington awarded a corner. From the flag-kick, Berra’s far post header was hacked off the line by McGugan.

Sam Hutchinson was booked for a foul on Skuse, before Knudsen was bizarrely penalised for a foul throw in front of the dug-outs, despite having been pulled back by a Wednesday player as he took it, much to the annoyance of manager McCarthy and the home crowd.

Town had looked much the more dangerous side since the restart and in the 53rd minute they went in front.

A deflected cross from Maitland-Niles - now back on the right flank - reached Fraser on the left and the Scotland U21 international brought the ball inside past Joao before crossing. Westwood could only get a hand to it and Smith nodded home his first of the season from a matter of inches.

Six minutes later, Owls keeper Westwood was replaced, gingerly making his way to the touchline evidently still feeling the effects of his earlier knock.

Joe Wildsmith took over in goal, making his Wednesday league debut, and was quickly into the action, saving a Sears effort from inside the area. Maitland-Niles’s subsequent header deflected wide.

Fraser scraped a shot wide after excellent work from Sears on the right in the 65th minute with Town continuing to look threatening going forward.

Three minutes later, Skuse played a freekick across the edge of the area to Sears but the former West Ham man’s shot flew well into the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.

In the 70th minute Fraser was yellow-carded for a cynical trip on the breaking Joao, Wednesday’s Alex Lopez joining him in the book for the vehemence of his protests regarding the Blues’ winger’s foul.

Bialkowski palmed Wallace’s cross from the right over in the 74th minute before David McGoldrick and Brett Pitman replaced Fraser and Maitland-Niles, who were warmly applauded off the field. Murphy moved to the left and Sears to the right.

McGoldrick and Sears exchanged passes on the right in the 77th minute, the earlier scorer hitting a shot which hit a defender and looped through to Wildsmith.

Knudsen sent in a long throw from the left which Wednesday defended well as the game moved towards its final scheduled 10 minutes. Pitman was now on the left and Murphy back in the centre.

Douglas was replaced by former Owl Giles Coke in the 87th minute, the ex-Brentford man receiving a rapturous reception from his new fans as he made his way off.

Within a minute Berra saw another header from a corner cleared off the line, this time by Kieran Lee, then Pitman lashed well over after Murphy’s ball from the left had been cleared out to him.

Wednesday put Town under pressure in what was a nervy four minutes of injury time with a number of dangerous balls flying into the box and eventually cleared, in some cases somewhat desperately.

Moments before the final whistle the Owls almost claimed a point when Joao hit a deflected shot from 25 yards but Bialkowski superbly got down to his left to push it around the post.

Overall though, Town had been on top in the second half and Joao’s late shot was Wednesday’s only significant opportunity after the break.

Town started the second half brightly and got their goal and looked the more dangerous side for much of the second half, although the performance perhaps never matched last week’s display at Brentford.

Having claimed four points from their first two Championship games, the Blues find themselves sixth in the table with Burnley at Portman Road on Tuesday.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Douglas (Coke 87), Maitland-Niles (McGoldrick 74), Fraser (Pitman 74), Murphy, Sears. Unused: Gerken, Tabb, Emmanuel, Touré.

Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood (Wildsmith 59), Hunt, Helan, Lees, Loovens (c), Hutchinson (Nuhiu 62), Matias, McGugan (Lee 79), Lopez, Wallace, Joao. Unused: Palmer, Semedo, Sasso, Sougou. Referee: James Linington (Newport Isle-of-Wight). Att: 20,081 (Wednesday: 1,700).

Photo: Action Images

Ipswichlove added 17:27 - Aug 15 The Referee was Diabolical.
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DazBent added 17:29 - Aug 15 First fist pump of the year. 4 points in 2 against worthy opponents. Forget Brentford it's football. Let's push on, buzzing for Tuesday already
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Rentaghost added 17:29 - Aug 15 Great start. Three points against Burnley and the icing on the cake.
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EssexTractor added 17:36 - Aug 15 Some clever front play by the ever improving Freddie Sears, excellent throughout and Ryan Fraser in short bursts to actually show a winger can get behind a full back and cause havoc! Central Midfield do their jobs without being overly creative, defences settled as match went on although a few Chambers moments caused a few shakes,Daryl Murphy a little off the pace but the team undefeated in seven days and very many more smiles than frowns...and of immense value a team spirit that is paramount in its importance and as football shows " it's a funny old game" when Tommy Smith, much criticised last week headed the winner. Well done.

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GeorgeITFC24 added 17:42 - Aug 15 Good win. Just slightly worried about Murphy. He was anonymous today
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bugledog123 added 17:43 - Aug 15 Good game - bad ref! COYB
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itfcsince1974 added 17:49 - Aug 15 OMG. McCarthty plays four strikers at the same time. I am still in shock. I thought it very brave but we lost our shape in midfield and I don't know if my heart can take much of that this season. Still a great three points despite a diabolical referee who made error after error. Time to catch my breath and look forward to Tuesday. On another note I would like to take a look at the Owls forum after there comments about us prior to the game. COYB

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buntITFC added 17:49 - Aug 15 Great win against tough opposition. Lopez was excellent on the ball and Matias was a big threat too. Yet we played really well and won well too. Bart looked really good and solid in goal. Douglas had a fantastic game in the centre of the park, especially seeing as he got booked after 5 mins! And then Sears, AMN and Fraser were just fantastic. Fraser had a quiet 1st half and didn't see much ball but as soon as he had it at his feet he was brilliant. Wonderful assist for the 2nd. Sears took his goal incredibly well and worked his socks off all afternoon. Best moment of the day was Wednesday fans singing 'Off the football league we go' before conceding an equaliser right after!

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StochesStotasBlewe added 18:00 - Aug 15 Very pleased with the 3 points & the good performance of the team today. For all The Owls pretty passing, they created little, especially 2nd half, & slowing the game down to snails pace at times hindered them more than us. Freddie Sears was a constant thorn in their side, running the channels superbly, Frasers bursts of pace causing problems, Ainsley playing with a maturity way beyond his young age. Defensively shaky initially, they were much more solid & in MHO, the often maligned Tommy Smith was excellent today. Also a mention for Douglas who very ably supported Skuse in the centre of midfield. All in all, a good day at the office & a well deserved victory.

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therein61 added 18:04 - Aug 15 A very welcome 3 points and well earnt from a goal down, a good all round performance from our boys the only negative is the unbalanced back four with the skipper at right back and two left footers centrally we were found out on several occasions last season with this set up and it's not going to change Mick has a very tough call to make regarding this situation and if we are going up it need's sorting out!!

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stevieiriswattii added 18:10 - Aug 15 I though Sheff Wed looked like us for some of last season, slow passing at the back & then a hoof. Nice to see us passing the ball around at times, pace on the wings & Sears looks very, very good. Ref was rubbish & I have never seen so much time wasting by a goalkeeper.
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TimmyH added 18:11 - Aug 15 What ever your views on Tommy Smith one thing he will do is get you at least a few goals each season and some like today important goals. Didn't sound like the game was as good as last weeks but it's all about getting a bit of early momentum and getting some points on the board. Well done all.
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GerkensBeard added 18:21 - Aug 15 I can't actually fault anyone's performance today. Bart had an excellent second half, back four solid. Also you have to admit chambers done a better job on matias today than emmanuel would have. Smith was outstanding, often shaky but today solid as a rock. Knudsen was very composed, good overlapping and looks to have the same amount of passion as chambo. AMN and Fraser were on another level second half! It's amazing to think we finished 6th last season with Anderson and tabb on the wings. Anything is possible this year with those 2 if they stay fit. Douglas was brilliant. Him and Skuse are a huge presence in midfield! And having 2 sitters with effectively 4 attackers is what I think MM has been searching for all along. Finally you can't criticise the front 2. Sears M.O.T.M who probably feels he has to perform 110% every game to keep the other 2 out the team and when they did come on were a great threat. Yes I know it's only game 2 but this year I believe it's realistic optimism. Roll on Tuesday

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GTRKing added 18:24 - Aug 15 We played well today... we need to cut out the sitting back after the 85th min and try get another goal etc... murphy didn't look at his best... The ref was very poor today but looking forward to Tuesday
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tomitfc added 18:26 - Aug 15 Feels good to bring their fans back down to earth. We must be the most respectful group of fans compared to the rest of this league.
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BlueandTruesince82 added 18:35 - Aug 15 Seem we played well. Tommy Does get goals for a defender, Do feel a really good RB would offer much more but Maybe Emanuelle is nearly there, if he kicks on this season. Feel that we need quicker RB than Chambo, one more defender and id feel were in good shape. Good win through. Bring on Burnley. COYB
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oddball added 18:35 - Aug 15 Im not gloating just happy but as l said before game Sears is an absolute must starter at the mo, best of our four strikers.
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neillrumsey added 18:38 - Aug 15 3 points is what matters first and foremost and there were many huge positives starting with Bart in goal who claimed crosses and pulled off a couple of excellent second half saves. Tommy Smith subject of much criticism by some whilst still playing in his less favoured position was the pick of the back four winning every header making some excellent challenges and scoring the winner. Berra solid but looks a bit short of match fitness. Knudsen solid. Chambers again player in his less favoured position and was again out of position for the opener which is a concern. Both AMN and Fraser were fantastic through with pace energy skill and desire and we noticed a difference when they left the field we were hanging on. Skuse excellent first half tired towards the end and Douglas for me well short of fitness. Sears was MOM and took his goal really well. His movement and work rate also impressed. Murph for me needs a rest on Tues as he looks jaded and did pre season. DMc G and Pitman brought more to the game once introduced. Love to see McG behind front two tues and Sears and Pitman up top. Great 3 pts against decent side.

3

Vancouver_Blue added 18:58 - Aug 15 A win is a win at this stage of the season. It will take a few matches before the new players have settled in
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TheBluesBFF added 19:00 - Aug 15 I think that we played some very good and very entertaining football today, even though the referee was worse than Andy derso! But what is slightly fustrating is that we cannot put the game to bed and have to panic in in the last 10 minutes. Nevertheless a very good performance against a good team. COYB!
1

jas0999 added 19:10 - Aug 15 A fully deserved win. Thought as an attacking unit we were very good at times. Sears MOM, followed closely by Fraser and Niles. The central midfielders too similar for my liking, but both did okay and we do have Bru and Bishop to return from injury. Despite his great last minute save Bart looked shaky at times. Decent shot stopper but remain convinced we could do better in terms of someone who controls their area. Defensively okay, but lots of success for Sheffield from down the right, where despite a whole hearted and captains performance Chambers is still out of position. The left back looked assured and Smith had a good game. Berra looked a little off the pace as did Murphy, but they did rejoin pre season late so no surprises. Overall very pleased with the three points.

0

runaround added 19:11 - Aug 15 A deserved victory in the end & some better football at times than last season. Bart & Tommy have had criticism for their parts in Brentford's 2 late goals but both played a major role in today's win. The wide players give us pace as well as energy & hard work, Sears was excellent again whilst when Douglas gets fully match fit, he & Skuse will be able to form a good barrier in the centre as they did at times today. Murph was very quiet today but once he hits his straps he will give us even more options. Knudsen seemed to be out of position at times but also did well. Wednesday are not a poor side so it is a good win & I feel we can really challenge this season

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dannyrr added 19:17 - Aug 15 Again like the game at Brentford we should have killed the game by getting a third. We need to do this to stop us having to panic towards the end of the game. Referee was shocking - how can he give a yellow card to the opposition and give thir player a card too. A fair bit of diving and falling over to get awarded free kicks all the time. Fraser and AMN make a difference with their pace on the wings. Murphy hasn't looked as impressive of late and didn't do much of note today. Love to see Pittman Sears and McG behind them. We let Wednesday have too much space in midfield today and on many occasions they were allowed to walk the ball to the halfway line. Need to be more clinical and kill the game. In first 15 minutes we had 7 corners and the first time Wednesday got in our area they scored. A great response to score a few minutes later and shut the Wednesday support up. Quality!!! Let's get another 3 points against Burnley and start a run of wins. COYB

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warktheline added 19:24 - Aug 15 Nice compact start to season, if we beat Burnley midweek then not many of us can have cause to complain. I wasn't happy to see Chambers pushed over to right back, but then the under fire Smith nicks the winner! We do without doubt look much more threatening this season, and also have a touch more depth on the bench. We will be a force to be reckoned with this campaign, and might I just add, it appears McCarthy style of play, is becoming abit more pleasing on the eye!

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PJH added 19:38 - Aug 15 A good three points. Skuse again had a very good game,as he did at Brentford and most games in the second half of last season. Sears also very good. Hopefully Bart's second half will up his confidence as he dealt with most things in the air very well. If we can match or better last season's home record we should be in for a great season because the way we are set up now I think we should pick up loads of points away. Very good atmosphere there today building on the finish to last season. COYB

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