Sheffield Wednesday did something for only the fifth time this century vs Wycombe Wanderers
Sheffield Wednesday have amassed a very respectable nine points from their opening four matches in League One this season.
Sheffield Wednesday climbed into League One’s automatic promotion places for the first time this season after coming from behind to beat Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 at Adams Park on Tuesday night.
After falling behind early on to Cauley Woodrow’s composed effort, Wednesday quickly responded when Louie Barry tapped home his third goal in his last two games.
The Owls then proceeded to turn the game on its head, getting their noses in front just before half-time when Jamal Lowe converted an excellent penalty to claim his fifth goal of the season across all competitions.
Back-to-back wins against Bromley and Wycombe in the space of just four days mean that Wednesday will head to Peterborough United on Saturday lunchtime with the ambition of making it three league wins on the bounce for the first time since their final three games of the 2023/24 campaign.
Taking nine points from the first 12 on offer this season represents an excellent start for what is essentially a brand-new team. Ten of the 15 players used by Henrik Pedersen against Wycombe were recruited during this summer’s transfer window, including Jaden Heskey, whose return to S6 was confirmed just hours before the victory at Adams Park.
Tuesday night’s win in Buckinghamshire ensured that the Owls built on Saturday’s 7-2 mauling of Bromley, meaning they will head to Peterborough this weekend with confidence flowing through their veins.
It is only the fifth time this century that Wednesday have started a league campaign with as many as three wins from their opening four matches. Most recently, they achieved that particular feat in League One at the start of the 2021/22 season under Darren Moore, when they won three and drew one of their first four outings. Wednesday also previously won three of their first four matches in 2019/20, 2010/11 and 2004/05.
Considering it has been a fairly rare occurrence for the Owls to come flying out of the blocks in recent years, they deserve immense credit for their encouraging start, given the amount of change that has taken place throughout the entire club and the number of new players who have been drafted in since Arise Capital Partners completed their takeover of the club on May 1.
In a parallel universe, Wednesday could have found themselves sitting at the League One summit with the division’s only 100 per cent record after such an impressive first half display against Bradford City in their first home league game almost a fortnight ago. They recorded ten first-half shots against the Bantams, only to fail to convert their chances.
Bradford got their noses in front shortly after half-time, capitalising after Wednesday switched off at a corner, and they managed the game excellently from that moment onwards to seal all three points.
But to Wednesday’s credit, they have responded with back-to-back league wins and a first seven-goal haul in 23 years, meaning the defeat to Bradford is now a distant memory.
Admittedly, there is a very, very long way to go this season, and Wednesday, as is natural, will lose football matches. However, three wins from the opening four games represents a solid start for a new-look team.