'Great poacher' 'Completely different' - Sheffield Wednesday player ratings as Owls come from behind against Mansfield town

It took the introduction of Michael Smith, Dominic Iorfa and Barry Bannan to change the game for the Owls after falling behind to a goal from George Lapslie – with a Smith brace proving to be the difference on the day.

Wednesday were lucky to still be in the game going into half time after the Stags missed numerous opportunities, but a change in formation and personnel in the second half saw them complete a turnaround to book their spot in the next round.

Here’s how we rated the players after a tough game at Hillsborough.

Cameron Dawson - 6

Couldn’t do anything about the opening goal, and made a couple of good saves to keep Wednesday in it. Showed good positioning and made some crucial interventions too.

Jack Hunt – 4

He’s not had much football of late, and he struggled to get into things at Hillsborough against Mansfield. He was beaten too often as the visitors pushed down the left, and didn’t offer enough going forward.

Liam Palmer – 5

Playing as a left-sided centre back, Palmer was solid enough even if it wasn’t a performance that hit the levels he’s regularly shown this season. Wore the armband, and was often exactly where he needed to be at the right time.

Michael Ihiekwe – 5

A decent showing from him in the heart of defence. May feel like he could’ve done better with the goal, but won some important duels and was a good leader at the back. Went off with a knock, which is concerning.

Marvin Johnson - 7

Really struggled to get into the game at first when playing as a left back, but looked a completely different player once he moved further up the field. Got two fantastic assists to win the game for Wednesday.

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru - 5

A battling performance from the midfielder who did improve as the game went on. Was full of energy but didn’t seem to find his feet until the game entered the final 20 minutes or so. Solid enough from him.

Will Vaulks - 6

A tidy performance in the heart of midfield from Vaulks, who regularly dropped back in what was effectively a pivot role. Tried some passes that didn't quite work out, but was dependable for the most part and he didn’t do much wrong at all.

Alex Mighten - 5

He seemed to liven up after being moved to right wing back following a difficult first half where he didn’t get much joy down the left. It was good to see him improve as the game went on.

Mallik Wilks – 4

Didn’t get into the game after being given a start on the right wing. Things didn’t seem to drop for him, and he just wasn’t able to affect things or cause any real issues for the Stags.

Lee Gregory - 4

A tough afternoon for Gregory, who didn’t get the rub of the green and wasn’t able to stamp his mark on the game. He also had to go off with an injury – which everybody will be hoping isn’t too serious for last season’s top scorer.

Callum Paterson – 5

Worked incredibly hard all game, even if he wasn’t able to get in on the action in terms of goals. Made a big effort to try and make things happen when things weren’t going the Owls way, and didn’t give up on anything.

Dominic Iorfa – 6

Came on as Moore looked to change things up, and really helped turn the result around as he moved into the right centre back position. He was strong when he needed to be, and made a couple of key interventions when under pressure.

Michael Smith – 9

Looked a threat as soon as he made his way onto the field, with his size and physicality causing immediate issues for the Mansfield backline. His movement was good, and he took his goal excellently to level things up when the Owls needed him most. His second was also a great poacher’s goal.

Barry Bannan – N/A

Came on for an injured Gregory.

Mark McGuinness – N/A

A late substitution as Ihiekwe limped off.