Analysis from SWFC’s latest outing...

Sheffield Wednesday kicked-off their EFL Trophy campaign with a 2-1 win at Salford City.

Second-half goals from Davis Keillor-Dunn and Jamal Lowe helped them come from a goal down to secure the three points in Group A. But it was not a straight-forward night for The Owls, who were second best in the first 45.

Here are some of the main talking points to come out of the evening...

WHAT WAS THAT?

The first-half was a shocker as Wednesday failed to register a meaningful shot on target or sustain any attacks or pressure. The League Two hosts had more possession, forced Ashley Maynard-Brewer into three saves and they hit the woodwork. At that point Wednesday had gone five halves of football—225 minutes in total—without scoring a goal. In their defence, they had made eight changes, but that didn’t carry much weight because Salford had made 11. In the first 45, Wednesday had two players making their debuts and others who had not featured much or were returning from injury, and it showed, but you would still have expected much better. You felt like scratching your eyes out.

RELIEF

It may only have been the EFL Trophy but Henrik Pedersen needed this result after successive home league draws. The performance once again left much to be desired but they did improve after the break and turned the scoreline around, with substitute Callum Slattery providing a much-needed spark. It will have been a relief for Pedersen, who would not have wanted to wait two weeks until the next game and let the noise around the performances grow louder.

BERNARD BACK

After 19 long months, Di’Shon Bernard made his return to first-team action, playing an hour. It was an emotional night for the defender, who admitted that the setbacks he suffered along the way made him think about quitting football. There are potentially two more matches (Sunderland under-21s and a friendly against a Championship side) for him to play in before the next league game against Huddersfield Town on October 10. All being well, he could possibly be in contention to be involved in matchday squads from that point. The prospect of Bernard, Ricardo Santos and Liam Cooper battling for two spots at the heart of the defence should create fierce competition.

DEBUTS

Goalkeeper Maynard-Brewer and young winger Joel Akpobi made their Owls debuts from the start, while defender Will McPartland and forward Samuel Duruh came off the bench for their debuts. Maynard-Brewer’s saves in the first-half stopped Wednesday from having a bigger deficit to overturn by half-time. Akpobi showed his speed, was direct, and provided an assist for the equaliser when his cross was headed in by Davis Keillor-Dunn. McPartland played a part in helping Callum Slattery win the penalty for the winner. This competition could prove to be useful for the youngsters’ development.

DKD

Keillor-Dunn scored his first Wednesday goal when he finished from six-yards out 10 minutes into the second-half. The 28-year-old netted the majority of his goals for Barnsley as a number 10 or striker - something Owls fans have called for - after he played out wide against Wigan Athletic and was ineffective. Pedersen’s post-match comments suggest we won’t see DKD used as a winger again.