Well that's very Wednesday... - FIVE talking points from a huge Hillsborough win for Sheffield Wednesday

It was a cold night at Hillsborough, but there will be a warmth in the Sheffield Wednesday changing room after they picked up a home victory that Wednesdayites have been waiting eight months for.

Steven Fletcher’s late winner against Charlton Athletic feels like a lifetime ago. It’s exactly 252 days if you’re wondering. But finally, and I say this with a HUGE sigh of relief, FINALLY, the Owls have won at home.

They had Barry Bannan to thank for it, really. With the diminutive Wednesday captain finding Josh Windass with a delicious ball over the top that left Steve Cook with no choice really but to bring the forward down.

Bannan went on to dispatch the penalty kick coolly and calmly, putting Wednesday into the lead in front of a sadly empty Kop. It wasn’t from open play, but nobody will really mind.

Here are some talking points from a very, very important win in S6.

Very, very Wednesday…

After losing to Luton Town, Rotherham United and Wycombe Wanderers in a torrid run of form against teams that are expected to be down at the bottom of the table, I said before that it would be very Wednesday to get a result tonight.

Well, you guessed it…

It got a bit tense towards the end, it got ever tenser when Kadeem Harris got sent off, but they weathered the storm and held on. It will be a huge one for the players, a huge one for Garry Monk and a huge one for the fan base.

And they did it against a side that are fancied for at least the Play-Offs this season. A side who – up until tonight – hadn’t lost a single game in the Championship this season.

It’s a funny game isn’t it, but it’s the Wednesday way, I guess.

Seeing red

The result and the performance were major plus points on the night, but one disappointment for Wednesday was yet another sending off. This time for Kadeem Harris.

It seemed like a yellow at worst, but with Wednesday hanging on it was the Owls winger who was sent to the bench as they were hanging on by the skin of their teeth. It could have been a problem for the Owls who had enjoyed a one-man advantage following Steve Cook’s sending off, but they managed to hold out even with a man down.

It’s now three red cards in their last four games, and it means that Harris – who was sent off for the first time since back in 2015 – will have to sit out the next three matches (Millwall, Preston North End and Swansea City). But there may be a case of the Owls appealing the decision.

Harris was clearly fuming as he left the field of play, but he’ll be pleased that at least his exit didn’t affect the result. And that’s the main thing.

Tom Lees missing

One big surprise for the Owls was the absence of former captain, Tom Lees, despite the fact that he was back available again following his suspension.

Lees had been absent for quite a while due to a groin injury throughout the month of October, and things didn’t get much better for the centre back as he was sent off in the first half of his return to action against Rotherham United.

There were some worries that the defender had picked up another knock that kept him out of the game, but he was actually missing because of some personal news. Monk revealed after the game that Lees’ wife went into labour earlier in the day, meaning that he was unable to take part as he went to be with her. He was going to be part of the squad otherwise.

Things have been starting to look a bit brighter in the centre back department after a spate of bad luck with injuries and also a couple of sendings off, and it’s good news for Monk that Lees isn’t facing another spell on the sidelines.

There is a plus side though – Joost van Aken has now served his suspension, so is back in contention for the Millwall game.

Get in, Joey…

He’s much maligned by many of the Wednesday fanbase, but Joey Pelupessy put in a great performance for the Owls as he sought to fill the hole that has been left gaping by Massimo Luongo’s absence.

The Dutchman was excellent in his role in the centre of the field, putting in his best showing of the season and arguably his best in a long while. Pelupessy made a number of key tackles, blocks and interceptions over the course of the game, and Monk will have been delighted with his efforts.

That Börner Block

It started with a sloppy header from Dominic Iorfa at 0-0, and while Big Dom did well to get back and make a recovery tackle, it was the final block from Julian Börner that really caught the eye.

With the goal gaping, former Sheffield United man, David Brooks, looked almost certain to score, but the German – who put in a good showing as he clearly grows in confidence – put his body on the line to make a last-gasp block at almost point blank range.

We spoke a few weeks back about how important Van Aken’s block had been as they won at Birmingham, and Börner’s effort today was of the same ilk – as good as a goal, to be quite honest.

Next up for the Owls as they seek back-to-back wins at home for the first time since December 19 is a clash with The Lions on Saturday afternoon.

More Owls news

Tom Lees’ surprise Sheffield Wednesday absence explained

THREE eights under the lights: Player ratings after Sheffield Wednesday's win

What was the final nail in the coffin of Wednesday’s recent managers?

Thank you for reading this article, one of dozens we publish every single day to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative coverage of YOUR club. This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to from the football team at The Star, please consider taking out a subscription to our sports-only package. You'll find all the details at https://www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions/sports.

Your support is much appreciated.