| Sheffield Wednesday 0 v 1 Ipswich Town SkyBet Championship Saturday, 16th September 2023 Kick-off 15:00 |  |
Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Ipswich Town - Match Report Saturday, 16th Sep 2023 17:12 Conor Chaplin’s third goal of the season saw Town to a 1-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. The Blues, who remain third with a 100 per cent record on the road, had had a number of chances to go in front before Chaplin slammed home Leif Davis’s low cross just before half-time and had opportunities to increase their lead in the second half. Town made one change from the team which beat Cardiff 3-2 at Portman Road a fortnight ago with Freddie Ladapo coming into the XI for George Hirst. Former Owls academy youngster Hirst suffered a recurrence of his adductor injury against the Bluebirds but returned to training this week and was on the bench. Wes Burns was OK to start in his right-sided role, despite picking up a hamstring problem while away with Wales. For the Owls, key midfielder man Barry Bannan was absent from the 20-man squad, while Republic of Ireland international Jeff Hendrick made his debut having joined on loan from Newcastle, while John Buckley, another new loanee from Blackburn, was among the subs. Former Blues loan defender Dominic Iorfa started and one-time loan midfielder Tyreeq Bakinson was on the bench. Town threatened within the first minute after Burns was sent away on the right and cut back to Ladapo but the striker rather scuffed his effort and Hendrick was able to clear ahead of the lurking Nathan Broadhead. The early stages were scruffy with neither side able to take charge and with Wednesday giving Town little time on the ball in their own half. On 10, skipper Sam Morsy was shown the game’s first yellow card for putting his body in between himself and Juan Delgado, who went to ground rather dramatically holding his face. Moments later, Wednesday’s Akin Famewo joined him in the book for kicking the ball away to slow Town down at a throw-in. The Blues began to get their passing going and in the 15th minute should have gone ahead following a slick move down the right which had originated with keeper Vaclav Hladky playing it out to his centre-halves. Conor Chaplin sent Burns away and the Welshman cut back to Ladapo in space in the area but the former Rotherham man’s effort was blocked by advancing keeper Devis Vasquez. On 29, Wednesday were forced into a change when Iorfa took to the turf with a knock having done the same earlier in the half. Di’Shon Bernard, who worked with Town boss Kieran McKenna at Manchester United, took over. The game, which had become increasingly stop-start mainly due Wednesday players requiring treatment, was held up again three minutes later when Famewo landed awkwardly following an aerial tussle with Ladapo in the centre circle. The Blues had broken following the clash - with home fans angry that the game hadn’t been stopped - but Broadhead had been dispossessed as he reached the edge of the box. Town had another great chance to go ahead in the 36th minute when Burns was sent away down the right via a typically incisive Broadhead pass. This time, the Wales international opted to shoot and his effort was blocked by Vasquez. However, it looped out to Chaplin just inside the box but last season’s top scorer’s volley screwed away from goal and wide. On 42, Burns was booked for a late challenge on Delgado with the Owls fans calling for more than just a yellow card. George Byers floated in the free-kick from the left and Michael Smith, a regular scorer against the Blues over the years with the Owls and Rotherham, flicked a looping header well over. Three minutes later, Town took the lead. Ex-Wednesday midfielder Massimo Luongo sent away Leif Davis, who had previously had a quiet half, down the left and the former Leeds man took it on into the box and cut back to Chaplin, who slammed a low shot through a crowd of Owls defenders in the six-yard box and into the net. The 2,000-plus Town fans celebrated wildly at one end, while Chaplin appeared to imitate painting a post at the other having scored his third goal of the season. After the fourth official had indicated six additional minutes, the game was held up again for an injury to Davis, who after lengthy treatment was helped from the pitch with what looked to be a right ankle problem and was replaced by Brandon Williams. Davis made his way round the perimeter in front of the applauding Town fans towards the bench supported by two of club staff, putting no weight on his injured leg. Just before the whistle after what turned out to be 11 additional minutes, Josh Windass smashed a free-kick into the Town wall. The Blues thorough deserved their lead after creating all the half’s chances. Town would have been disappointed not to have been in the lead prior to Chaplin’s goal with Ladapo and Burns both having had excellent earlier opportunities. Wednesday had sought to upset Town’s rhythm and control of the game by trying to make the game as stop-start as possible, while never seriously able to threaten themselves. Within seconds of the restart, Callum Paterson was booked for catching new full Australia cap Cameron Burgess with a stray arm. Wednesday made two changes ahead of the second half with Smith and Lee Gregory replaced by Ashley Fletcher and Buckley. Town started the second half well in control, winning an early free-kick on the right and then a corner on the other side from which they came very close to doubling their lead. Broadhead whipped the ball over and Clarke flicked a header towards the far post but Vasquez brilliantly kept it out, the keeper somehow reacting quickly enough to paw the ball up and away from goal before it was cleared. On 54, after a brief Owls attack, the Blues picked up a loose ball midway inside the Wednesday half but Burns blazed over when more might have been made of the opportunity. Two minutes later, Hladky was booked for taking too long over a goal-kick. As the game reached the hour mark, Wednesday began to see more of the ball and sent over a couple of dangerous crosses which Burgess dealt with, while the Blues were struggling to regain control. In the 63rd minute, with Town needing more of a presence up front, Hillsborough alumnus Hirst took over from Ladapo and was roundly booed by his old supporters. Three minutes later, Hendrick was booked for catching Broadhead with an arm. Hirst’s introduction seemed to settle the Blues and they began to retake control. In the 69th minute, the sub was sent away on the right of the box behind the Wednesday backline by Clarke and lofted the ball over Vasquez but also the bar from a tight angle. Within a minute, Hirst was played in on the left of the area by Luongo and this time saw his shot at goal blocked by the keeper when he might have cut back to Chaplin. Wednesday swapped Hendrick for Anthony Musaba, then on 77 Town introduced Kayden Jackson, man of the match in last season’s corresponding fixture, for Burns. The Owls were continuing to look for an equaliser but were doing little more than huffing an puffing with their fans muted aside from frustrated shouts towards referee James Linington when decisions went against their side. On 83, Williams picked put the ball on the left and drove forward and inside before hitting his pass too far in front of Jackson on the right of the box. At the other end, Town defended another corner and subsequent ball across the area with the Owls still to manage a shot on target. As the game moved into its penultimate scheduled minute, Chaplin sent Broadhead away on the left and the Welshman took the ball on into the left of the box before hitting a low shot which Vazquez saved down to his right. Town saw out the five additional minutes - the whistle the signal for loud boos from the home support - to complete their first win at Hillsborough since March 2018 and their third victory in their three games away from home since their return to the Championship. In truth, the margin of victory should have been more comfortable with the Blues having created very good opportunities both before Chaplin’s well-worked and clinically taken goal and afterwards. Second-bottom Wednesday, still without a win, were unable to manage a single effort on target all afternoon with their main danger crosses into the box which were dealt with well by the Town defence and keeper Hladky. The win, Kieran McKenna's 50th as a manager in 87 games in just 21 months, stretches Town's unbeaten league away run to a club record 12. The Blues stay third in the table having dropped from second on goal difference on Friday night following Leicester’s 4-1 win at Southampton with the Blues, whose very impressive start to the season continues, the next visitors to St Mary’s on Tuesday evening. Sheffield Wednesday: Vasquez, Paterson, Palmer (c), Iorfa (Bernard 29), Famewo, Delgado, Byers, Hendrick (Musaba 76), Windass, Gregory (Buckley 46), Smith (Fletcher 46). Unused: Dawson, Valentin, Ihiekwe, James, Bakinson. Town: Hladky, Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis (Williams 45), Morsy (c), Luongo, Burns (Jackson 77), Chaplin, Broadhead, Ladapo (Hirst 63). Unused: Ball, Evans, Taylor, Hutchinson, Scarlett. Referee: James Linington (Newport, Isle of Wight). Att: 25,938.
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