With three matches in a week at Hillsborough, is this the tweak Sheffield Wednesday could make to u-turn their horror home form?

That goal came courtesy of captain Tom Lees last year in a 2-1 defeat to Cardiff City on December 29. And you have to scroll as far back as the 1-0 smash and grab over Bristol City to find the Owls’ last win at home, which came three days before Christmas and pushed them into third place in the table.

Since then the world has crashed around Wednesday, a run of one win in 11 matches dropping them to 12th. They are as far from the relegation zone to the play-off spots – 11 points from both.

The mood seems to be lifting a touch, however, after a more positive display in the 3-3 draw at Birmingham on Saturday and with senior players returning to fitness after a threadbare few weeks for Garry Monk’s squad.

And with Charlton Athletic the visitors this midweek followed by Wayne Rooney’s Derby County and the megastars of Manchester City, Monk’s men must u-turn their current run of home form and fast.

No Championship side has scored fewer goals at home than Wednesday this season and the stats suggest it is how they start games that is hurting them most at Hillsborough, along with an inability to convert their chances.

On average in the first half of matches at Hillsborough away sides have scored nine goals (0.67 goals per match) – more than double Wednesday’s meagre four (0.28).

And that’s despite the Owls having more shots on target (5.17 to 4.06) and a higher xG (0.6 to 0.47) than their away opponents in the first period.

Slow starts are also allowing away sides to have more possession of the ball – 52.5 per cent to Wednesday’s 47.5 per cent – and move the ball marginally faster than the Owls with 15.92 passes per minutes to Wednesday’s 15.5.

Garry Monk has repeatedly commented on his side’s inability to wrestle control of the early stages of matches by passing the ball more crisply. It would be a good place to start.