Liam Cooper has just proved key Sheffield Wednesday figure right as Owls plan begins to pay off
Liam Cooper completed 21 defensive actions to help Sheffield Wednesday come from behind and beat Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 at Adams Park on Tuesday night.
Some victories feel more important than others.
After brushing Bromley aside at Hillsborough on Saturday, winning 7-2, Sheffield Wednesday would have travelled down to Adams Park to face Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday evening expecting a very different kind of test. And so it proved.
After falling behind to Cauley Woodrow’s opener after just six minutes, Wednesday were left with no choice but to roll up their sleeves.
It was a challenge that Henrik Pedersen’s men rose to, though. After drawing level just five minutes later, when Louie Barry tapped home after Mason Burstow’s effort was parried into his path, the Owls turned the game on its head in first half injury time when Callum Slattery was fouled inside the penalty area.
Jamal Lowe stepped up, confidently stroking the ball into the top corner to ensure Wednesday went into the break with their noses in front.
Naturally, Wycombe applied plenty of pressure in the second half, and they were very unfortunate not to have been awarded a penalty when Caolan Boyd-Munce’s effort struck the arm of Gabriel Otegbayo.
To Wednesday’s credit, though, they stood firm to record back-to-back league wins for the first time since March last year. Everything that was thrown at the Owls’ backline and goalkeeper Joe Lumley was dealt with.
Much of that resolute defending stemmed from the presence of Liam Cooper, who started for the third league game running. The vastly experienced centre-back signed a new deal at Hillsborough during the summer after originally being given a contract until the end of last season following his arrival on a free transfer last November.
Bringing experience and leadership to the table, Cooper relied on all of his experience to help Wednesday fight their way to three points during a second half that became as much a physical battle as it was a football match.
Storing 87 minutes under his belt to mark his longest appearance since completing the 90 when the Owls were beaten 4-0 by Swansea City at the Swansea.com Stadium back in February, the former Leeds United man was excellent, making 21 defensive contributions in total.
Alongside making a whopping 16 clearances, the 35-year-old also made three interceptions, won ten of his 12 duels, made two recoveries, made one tackle and blocked one shot.
It was the kind of defensive commitment and leadership you need to produce in League One if you want to find yourself in the upper echelons of the table come the business end of the season.
Speaking after Cooper had signed a new deal at Hillsborough in June, Owls sporting director Simon Wilson said: “He is the type of player who represents the culture we want to create.
"Importantly, he is a winner and we believe he can play an important role for us this season on and off the field.”
Cooper’s display against the Chairboys epitomised the culture that Wednesday want to create this season. He put his body on the line to help them walk away with maximum points.
Wycombe applied their fair share of pressure in the second half, meaning Wednesday had to dig deep to come away with the win, and Cooper’s contribution went a long way towards ensuring they got the job done.
He has had to be managed carefully so far this season, but it appears as though the Owls are now starting to see the very best of the former Leeds captain, who expressed a strong desire to remain in S6 at the end of last season.
With injury issues having forced Pedersen to regularly chop and change at centre-back so far this season, a careful approach with Cooper is sensible. Based on Tuesday night’s evidence, it is an approach that is paying off.