Spanked at Southampton - but hammering will not define Sheffield Wednesday's survival scrap

On a cold south coast afternoon, 11 men in red played football against 11 men in blue. The red team entered the match 19 matches unbeaten, laced with multi-million pound talent and with all eyes set on automatic promotion from the Championship. Put simply; they are a better football team. Despite a strong run of results and confident mood, the blues were expected to lose.

And so it proved, Sheffield Wednesday outclassed by Southampton on an afternoon that could quite generously described as 'difficult'. It felt like a free hit going in and they weren't able to take it. In fairness they never looked likely to.

Within a minute or two, a stamp of authority from the away side and a suggestion they had no appetite to cower into defensive submission as last time. Within a few more Michael Ihiekwe had headed one of the line. Both sides sought to play bravely through the lines, thunderous tackles were exchanged. With a boisterous away end doing its thing and the home end offering the occasional groan of marching Saints, the occasion was pure theatre.

And then it settled down. And then Southampton - who kicked off with the highest average possession in the division with 64.6% - got the ball and were allowed it by design. Wednesday pressed in moments and had chances to break, but weren't crisp or snappy enough in delivery to do so. For once Cadamarteri looked lost, Di'Shon Bernard's midfield experience looked a little laboured and nothing stuck to build from. Attacks came in wave after wave, the home side growing in swagger. But for all their dominance, there weren't a great many clear-cut chances.

That was until a lapse. Liam Palmer shanked a clearance out for a throw, the ball came back in and Bambo Diaby missed his chance to clear. Palmer's footing failed him as if to poke him in the eye with misfortune and Wednesday were a goal down, former Blade Che Adams the scorer of his second goal against his former city rivals this season in the 35th minute. When the break arrived, the Owls were surely thankful.

It allowed Danny Rohl to make two changes and tinker his set-up. Cadamarteri and Anthony Musaba - spectators for the majority of the first half - were replaced by Will Vaulks and Ashley Fletcher and the Owls looked immediately more robust, able to play higher up the pitch. They had chances to break that once again came to nothing, try as they might. When the Saints broke themselves to make it 2-0 through Adam Armstrong, it served as a reminder of the quality the home side have and why they are vying for automatic promotion. It stung that they hadn't been able to do so themselves, no doubt.

Three came from a similarly stretched phase of play for the travellers and again a moment or seven after one of their more more attractive attacking efforts. Wednesday did have moments whereby they looked every bit as slick as their far better opponents, the problem was that they were few and far between and didn't result in anything. Ryan Fraser was the man to bag the finisher. Within 10 minutes it was four.

Sheffield Wednesday's season will not be defined on a 4-0 defeat at St Marys, rather than by the matches they play against teams in the cut and thrust. There'll be days like the one at Southampton in the Owls' scrap for Championship survival. Their mission is to ensure they're few and far between.

The scoreline will hurt but the fact is that on Saturday they were soundly beaten by a better side. Rohl and his men will hope to bounce back at the first opportunity against Coventry City at Hillsborough on Saturday.