George Byers and Ben Heneghan catch the eye in Sheffield Wednesday's narrow pre-season defeat to Bournemouth

Everyone present – perhaps even those in blue and white – expected Bournemouth to dominate the ball the way tend to. This would be a world away from the challenges posed by Alfreton, Harrogate and Middlesbrough.

But as it happened, Wednesday were the team that played all the football early doors. Josh Windass operated on the shoulder of the Cherries’ centre-halves and got in behind from a George Byers ball over the top to force Mark Travers into a smart save.

Travers was called into action once again a few minutes later as Fisayo Dele-Bashiru fired one in from distance.

Such was the Algarve heat, it had been agreed there would be regular drinks breaks and from there Bournemouth grew into things a touch. But the Owls looked comfortable in possession.

David Stockdale made a fine save from Lloyd Kelly’s header but eyes were drawn to the battle between Ben Heneghan and Keiffer Moore in the middle of proceedings. It was a physical tussle of ‘Alien v Predator’ proportions.

Against an international striker, Heneghan did well – when Moore was replaced by £20m man Dominic Solanke at the break, that impressive effort continued.

At the centre of Wednesday’s defiance were Barry Bannan and George Byers, who pushed the ball about nicely.

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Cruelly, on the stroke of half-time, it was Byers’ diving effort to stop Lewis Cook’s shot from the edge of the box that careered past Stockdale.

Wednesday’s response was positive – Byers himself sliding Dele-Bashiru in before the youngster took one touch too many and failed to get a shot away. In truth, Byers was probably the Owls’ star man in a first half littered with positives.

To the second and the game felt evenly balanced. A dangerous Windass corner swung past all who were present and was just an inch or two out of place for Heneghan to throw a boot at it at the back post.

Stationed just a couple of metres from the side of the pitch and with no fans present in the behind closed doors affair, it was fascinating to hear the communication between the players, in particular the new man trifecta of Stockdale, Heneghan and Michael Ihiekwe. Wednesday have signed leaders at the back.

But that couldn’t halt Bournemouth’s growing into the clash and Solanke’s goal to make it 2-0 on 56 minutes. For all Wednesday’s endeavour, the Premier League side’s superior quality in the final third told.

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On 64 minutes, a change-a-thon with another hour in the legs of those departing. Six subs in total.

It injected a little energy into Wednesday and that told 14 minutes later when Dele-Bashiru shrugged off a defender to get in behind and stroke the ball into the bottom corner.

There was time for a worldy save from Cameron Dawson to deny Jefferson Lerma’s close range header.

More minutes, more of a challenge, this Wednesday side is shaping up nicely with a couple of weekends to go until the start of the season.

Portugal will be looked back on as a success.

Sheffield Wednesday: Stockdale (Dawson, 64’); Iorfa, Heneghan, Ihiekwe (Brown, 64’); Palmer, Byers (A Hunt, 64’), Bannan (Adeniran, 64’), Dele-Bashiru (Galvin, 82’), James; Gregory (Paterson, 64’), Windass (Sow, 64’)