Jordan Rhodes, Joey Pelupessy and a Darren Moore masterclass – SIX talking points from Sheffield Wednesday’s huge win over Barnsley

Barnsley had won nine of their last 10, and the Owls hadn’t won – home or away – since the first week of February. But the Championship cares not for your form guide, and Darren Moore finally got his first win as Wednesday manager, giving them a big boost heading into the international break.

Jordan Rhodes scored once in each half to make sure that Callum Morris’ strike was nothing more than a consolation, making it three goals and an assist in his last three games for SWFC following a return to the starting line-up handed to him by his former Blackburn Rovers coach, and now there’s a glimmer of hope for Wednesday’s survival chances where there was previously none.

Here are some talking points...

Mooro Masterclass

Take nothing away from the team performance, because the team were great, but so much of the result at Oakwell was down to the way that Moore set them up.

He’s said on numerous occasions that he will change the setup, the players and whatever else needs changing in order to best tackle whichever opposition they’re playing, and he go it spot on against Barnsley.

Playing Callum Paterson as pretty much a bully-boy 10 behind Rhodes and Windass worked a treat, and gave the hosts a bit of a taste of their own medicine, really. Using direct football and structure to get the job done.

That being said, a plan of attack is worth nothing if it’s not carried out properly, and I don’t think there was a Wednesday player that had a bad game in this one.

Jordan Rhodes

The man of the moment… He was really good yesterday, wasn’t he? It wasn’t just the two goals, either. Because while he took his first expertly and was right where he needed to be for the second, his overall play was excellent.

He put in a shift at both ends of the pitch, was winning headers and winning fouls, and playing with an aggression that we haven’t seen too much of from him.

Rhodes now has six goals for the season – his best league return since arriving – and is eight away from becoming the Championship’s top scorer of all time, but he says that he’s focused on trying to do his bit to keep Wednesday up.

If he plays for the remaining nine games like he did against the Tykes, then the Owls might have a chance.

Those defenders!

While Osaze Urhoghide possibly stood out the most, it was a monumental effort from all of the back three at Oakwell, with Tom Lees and Julian Börner playing major roles in getting the three points.

Urhoghide made more successful tackles (4) than any other player on the field, nobody won more aerial battles than Lees (11), and Börner made more clearances on his own (20) than the entire Barnsley team combined (13).

When Wednesday went 2-0 up, Lees shouted ‘massive 10 minutes’ to his teammates as they entered a critical phase in the game, and even though they did let one slip, they battled and soldiered their way through to see it out.

All three were good, and the fact that they all finished with a 100% tackle success rate is extremely pleasing.

Our Joey

The much-maligned Joey Pelupessy. The player that so often gets the brunt of the abuse from some supporters, regardless of how well he may or may not have played.

But surely those supporters are not too stubborn to give credit where it’s due?

He may not be the most technically gifted player when compared to somebody like Barry Bannan – who put in his best performance in a while against Barnsley, by the way – but you absolutely cannot fault his determination, commitment to the cause, and dedication to performing his role.

Bannan was able to do well partly because Pelupessy did his job in Barnsley, and while his performances are often unspectacular, he can be an important part of the machine.

Saturday was the 17th Championship game that SWFC have started with Joey Pelupessy in the XI, and they’ve won seven of them and drawn three – in the other 20 matches when he’s not started, they’ve only three of them.

Coincidence? Maybe. But also maybe not.

Also, his big ‘WOO’ after Rhodes’ second goal was very enjoyable.

A bit of character

We all know the stats… We’ve all watched on as Wednesday have thrown away leads and ended up with a point or – often – nothing at all.

So when Morris’ goal went in (with a massive deflection, by the way), you could almost feel the collective sigh as thousands of Wednesdayites felt said, “Oh, here we go again…”

But they held on, they weathered the storm and made it out of the other side. Winning a football game when you’re 2-0 up with 15 minutes left to go shouldn’t be seen as a major achievement, really, but when you’ve see what we’ve seen, there’s a different level of importance.

So you’re telling me there’s a chance…

They say it’s the hope that kills you, well now Wednesday have thrown a little bit of hope into the equation, haven’t they?

Wednesday won, Birmingham lost, and now it’s only a six point gap (with a game in hand) that stops Moore’s side from getting out of the relegation zone.

There’s still a sense of ‘too little, too late’ about given that there’s only nine games left to play, but if Wednesday can stop a team that was on a 12-game unbeaten run in the Championship, then who knows?

Roll on nine more cup finals…

More Owls news

Moore’s relief and SEVERAL injury updates as Wednesday finally get the job done

FINALLY - Players ratings as Wednesday eventually give Darren Moore his first

‘There have been conversations’ about Joey as his Owls contract draws to a close

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