Skipper Luke Chambers headed an 87th minute winner to see the Blues to a 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday, maintaining boss Mick McCarthy’s unbeaten record as a manager at Hillsborough. In the first half Tom Lawrence had put Town ahead with a brilliant first goal for the Blues but Gary Hooper had hit back almost immediately with what looked to be an offside goal for the Owls.

Jonas Knudsen returned at left-back in an otherwise unchanged Town side, the Danish international having missed last week’s 2-2 home draw with Rotherham due to a back injury. Myles Kenlock dropped to the bench.

The game started brightly with both sides creating early opportunities. Blues captain Chambers did well to get across to crowd out Adam Reach after the former Middlesbrough winger had been played in down the middle in the second minute.

Play quickly moved to the other end of the field and David McGoldrick tricked his way past a defender on the edge of the box but screwed his effort well wide.

On eight Barry Bannan shot over from 20 yards after Kieran Lee had escaped down the Wednesday right and cut in.

Neither side was able to create a further chance until the 25th minute when Steven Fletcher struck a shot on the turn which Adam Webster deflected behind. From David Jones’s corner on the left, Fletcher headed powerfully over.

But Town, in their all white second strip for the first time in the Championship, had been been in what was an evenly-balanced game, albeit without conjuring an opportunity.

Until that is the 32nd minute when Lawrence put the Blues ahead with a brilliant first goal for the club.

The on-loan Leicester man dispossessed Jack Hunt just inside the Town half and brought the ball forward before cutting inside and smashing a low right-foot shot from just inside the box across keeper Keiren Westwood and into the net.

What a run! 😮 @Official_ITFC and @FAWales midfielder @TomLawrence99 runs half the half of the length of the pitch to score. pic.twitter.com/uScRaWAqfg– Football On 5 (@FootballOn5) November 5, 2016

But Town’s lead lasted less than four minutes. Jones, who played for Mick McCarthy at Wolves, hit a low shot which Bartosz Bialkowski did well to keep out down to his left but Hooper reacted quickest to slam home from close range, although looking to be one of a number of Wednesday players to have strayed offside.

Reach, who was a player Town showed interest in early in the summer, headed back across goal but with none of his team-mates in the box on 41, then at the other end McGoldrick crossed too deep for Freddie Sears and Daniel Pudil headed back to his keeper while grounded.

Neither side threatened again and the scoreline at the break was a fair reflection of the half.

Wednesday had had the better of the game’s few chances prior to Lawrence’s excellent goal, while the Blues will be disappointed to have conceded so soon after grabbing the lead, even more so if replays confirm that Hooper was indeed offside.

The Owls almost took the lead within a minute of the restart, Hooper battling to the edge of the area before hitting a low shot which Bialkowski saved down to his right. Webster and Lee both reacted quickly and the Town defender did enough to cause the Wednesday midfielder to stab wide.

On 55 Hunt crossed from the right but Fletcher was unable to get over the ball and sent his header well wide.

A minute later Town skipper Chambers picked up the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Reach, then Fernando Forestieri replaced the former Boro man, before Fletcher was yellow-carded for a foul on Sears in the 59th minute.

Town had been more on the back foot after the break with the home side in charge but without creating too many chances.

Webster made one of his increasingly familiar charges forward in the 66th minute but was dispossessed before he could find Sears to his right. Jonny Williams replaced the again quiet Bishop in the 70th minute.

Fletcher hit a weak effort through to Bialkowski in the 73rd minute with Wednesday by this stage rarely threatening against a determined and disciplined Blues side and the home crowd making their frustration and anxiety clear.

With a quarter of an hour remaining Wednesday swapped Jones for Ross Wallace, then on 79 Kevin Bru took over from Lawrence for Town.

The Blues created what was up to then their best opening of the half in the 81st minute after a Cole Skuse break. Williams failed to find McGoldrick with a chip to the far post but the ball fell to Ward, who played in Sears but as Westwood closed him down quickly, the striker’s shot hit the stanchion behind the goal.

Town were starting to look the more dangerous side and on 84 Williams came close to his first goal of his latest loan spell at Portman Road.

Ward found himself space on the right to cross and the Wales international turned the ball against Sam Hutchinson from inside the six-yard box when he seemed certain to score.

But the Blues didn’t have to wait too long for what would prove the winning goal. Ward won a freekick wide on the right and the former Tottenham man whipped over a deep cross, Berra won a free header at the far post but the ball was going wide until Chambers nodded his second goal of the season powerfully past Westwood at the far post, right in front of the travelling Town support.

In the final minute of normal time Luke Varney, like McGoldrick a one-time Wednesday loanee, replaced Ward.

As the fourth official’s board indicated four additional minutes McGoldrick cut in from the left but scraped his shot across the face and wide.

The Blues saw out the remaining minutes comfortably to claim a hard-fought three points.

After an even first half, Wednesday had the better of the early stages of the half but the Blues defended determinedly and in the latter stages broke quickly through among others Sears, McGoldrick and Williams and in the final 10 minutes looked the more likely winners with Chambers reacting quickly to add his header with Berra’s on the way wide.

The result sees the Blues go into the international break having moved up one place to 15th, now seven points off the relegation zone and five off the play-offs.

Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood, Jones (Wallace 75), Lee, Fletcher, Reach (Forestieri 57), Hooper (Abdi 81), Lees (c), Hutchinson, Hunt, Pudil, Bannan. Unused: Dawson, Loovens, Palmer, Buckley.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Webster, Berra, Skuse, Bishop (Williams 70), Ward (Varney 90), Lawrence (Bru 79), Sears, McGoldrick. Unused: Gerken, Best, Emmanuel, Kenlock. Referee: Andrew Madley (West Yorkshire). Attendance: 25,851.

Photo: TWTD

Walk_the_Wark added 17:40 - Nov 5 Good result. We will win the odd game. Mick Out
1

yerfdog87 added 17:43 - Nov 5 He finally listens to the fans in dropping Douglas etc n look how better we doing. Us fans deserve some credit, if only he listened sooner. Long way to go to get me back on board
8

carlo88 added 17:45 - Nov 5 @ Midastouch That's funny because before the match their forums reckoned they were going to hammer us! Which proves it was a pretty decent performance.
1

Brownie added 17:46 - Nov 5 Great result and pleased for everyone concerned including ALL the supporters whether pro MM or not. Also pleased with £5 at 3/1 on the win!! I still think MM is not the man to take us forward but as always just an opinion and happy to be proved wrong. Picking an entertaining team and by all accounts going for the win is a good start. He is own man but credit where due and great night for players & travelling fans in particular. Also think this site would be a lot more enjoyable if a bit of balance was in evidence after the game. Do we have to be in one camp or another? I would change the manager but I never boo the players & always support the team. People who suggest otherwise are wrong. COYB!

6

Taricco_Fan added 17:50 - Nov 5 Excellent result. Who would have thought we could win games by showing attacking intent? But we've been here before. Mick needs to put together a run of results to convince me that he is the man to take the club forward.
8

Ipswichbusiness added 17:52 - Nov 5 I hope that the lesson that management takes from this is that the correct partner for Skuse is Bishop or Williams and that Douglas and Coke can go boil their heads
0

TimmyH added 17:55 - Nov 5 Best result of the season so far...the starting line up certainly looks better than the more defensive looking midfield of Skuse, douglas and Bru. Although arguably you could say this is the same midfield that played last weekend but a run of games with this starting line up is now needed (injury permitting) or very similar. On the game today maybe another draw might have been a fair result as we did little until the last 10 minutes of the 2nd half when we more likely looked to score, what is it with the Championship with a lot of games not decided until the last few minutes? almost as if 75 minutes or so have no consequence at all or teams just don' t have the ability or quality to control large periods of games. Well one all - now for some consistency!

1

IpswichT62OldBoy added 17:55 - Nov 5 I think this is the first time he has been close to having his first choice team out, and it looks pretty decent. He set up to win, which we all wanted, I feel we can only accurately judge him on the results his best team can generate. Hopefully this is the beginning of well played football that produces results, let's see.
9

trebs78 added 17:57 - Nov 5 Nobody's fooled
4

ianmarshall10 added 18:00 - Nov 5 Town fans were superb today great atmosphere also singing Micks support even before we scored the first goal take it most the Mick out brigade don't actually go to games. Great three points still buzzing on the way home from the Chambo winner get in!! Also Mcgoldrick back were playing some good football at times.
2

Bluetone added 18:03 - Nov 5 All credit to the lads as a former manager who knew how to play "proper" football used to say. Just waiting now for McCarthy to say that the reason different class Douglas wasn't in the team or squad was because he had a splinter in his little finger.
0

NoelTheDub added 18:13 - Nov 5 Unexpected result today but well done everyone,Great to see Williams getting 30mins and Bru last 10 or so positive in many ways and that s what you get if we have a go which is what I think we have been missing.We are far better on the front foot having a go win lose or draw.Enjoy your evening everyone for a change..
2

Mick_Mills_Tache added 18:16 - Nov 5 IanMarshall10....Obviously only the Mick in brigade go to games, hence the boos and chants at home to Rotherham.... I'd engage the brain before typing next time. I know several people who went today who all want Mick out.
8

TrueBlue1998 added 18:21 - Nov 5 Can't see how anyone can take excpetion to that! He put an attacking team and made attacking substitutions Pleasure to watch Sears, McG, Lawrence, Ward, Williams and Bish all linking up. We created more than them, simple as. Really enjoyable game
4

Blandford added 18:22 - Nov 5 Great result. Well played lads and credit where it's due to MM. With almost a full squad to choose from he selected an attack minded team away from home and we got a positive result out of a game most of us would have been happy if we drew. Hope this is a sign of things to come and the season is not as bleak as many of us feared it was going to be.
6

MVBlue added 18:28 - Nov 5 Good. If we're gonna play sh*te football at least we can win too.
-2

runaround added 18:30 - Nov 5 A very surprising yet excellent win. Reading the report on here it sounds as though we actually played attacking football at times! Perhaps the penny has dropped with Mick? Carry on doing that & I will be happy for him to stay on & we may start to win back some of the fans his tactics have lost? A long way to go yet though & 1 swallow doesn't make a summer, however after the international break we have 2 home games against teams bang out of form so there will be no excuse not to go for it

4

prebsa added 18:31 - Nov 5 Well what a shock that was. We spent quite a lot of the game under pressure but we soaked it up and got the win. Very very surprised right now! Does mean that mick gets a few more months in the job so that's a shame but a much needed 3 points!
4

Kirbmeister added 18:36 - Nov 5 MicksZzzTactics - Either you didn't attend English lessons at school or you're on drugs. Either way you talk boll..ks.
-8

ianmarshall10 added 18:47 - Nov 5 Micks tashe time to engage your brain no one at the Rotherham match was singing Mick out they were saying his football is shi*. Which sometimes it is but today it wasn't.....Mick in!!
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dirtydingusmagee added 19:03 - Nov 5 one Swallow dosnt make a summer,but i i take my hat off to team and manager on todays result, It was a good result,and seemingly a good performance. WELL DONE .On a day when the Carrot Road gang ,were beaten too .Hopefully things will improve for us now .
5

happybeingblue added 19:24 - Nov 5 well done lads had nearly forgotten how it feels saturday evening after a decent win
4

blue75 added 19:36 - Nov 5 Great result 39% possession and 2 shots on target not so great chambers super strike well let's be honest he knew nothing about it. Let's not get carried away one swallow doesn't make a summer!! Mark me down I wasn't there I won't go away to watch a McCarthy team to negative for me. I like flowing attacking football the stats today suggest that wasn't the case today.
6

GiveusaWave added 19:49 - Nov 5 Great 3 points. Well done team. Takes pressure off MM for a while.
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warktheline added 19:54 - Nov 5 @kirbmeister, I think your find Mickszzztactics intelligence is beyond YOU! Anyhow, always great to win away, thus 'happy' this evening! Far from convinced in regards to McCarthy turning over a new leaf, time will tell!
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