REPORT: Forest 0-3 Wednesday
Goals from Aiden McGeady, Gary Hooper and Marco Matias secured the ten-man Owls an emphatic 3-0 win away at Nottingham Forest this afternoon.
Wednesday took the lead on the 30th minute as Barry Bannan, later to see red, danced his way through the Reds’ defence before laying off McGeady who fired home from inside the penalty area.
After the break it was 2-0 when Fernando Forestieri picked the pocket of Forest captain Matt Mills before teeing up Hooper to notch their second.
And Portuguese winger Matias rounded off the win after sliding the ball past Dorus De Vries to wrap up a memorable victory at the City Ground – with the only downside Bannan’s second half sending off.
Carlos Carvalhal made four changes to the side that drew 0-0 away at Brighton on Tuesday night.
Daniel Pudil, Ross Wallace, McGeady and Forestieri all returned to the starting XI, with Joe Bennett, Sam Hutchinson, Lucas Joao and Matias making way.
Forest started the game strongly but it was Wednesday who came closest inside the first 15 minutes.
Forestieri almost marked his return with a goal after forcing De Vries into a fine low save before scuffing the rebound into the Dutchman’s hands.
Glenn Loovens had a chance to register his first goal in an Owls shirt as he was granted a free header from a Ross Wallace corner but couldn’t get enough purchase to trouble the goalkeeper.
Winger McGeady was looking bright down the left as he cut inside before letting fly with a powerful drive that De Vries tipped over the bar.
A goal for Wednesday seemed to be on the cards, and it was that man McGeady who buried the opener on the half-hour.
The Irishman latched on to Bannan’s perfectly weighted through-ball before smashing past De Vries from ten yards.
With the half time whistle about to sound, the Owls almost extended their lead as Hooper fed Forestieri but his close range shot was parried to safety by the busy De Vries.
Forest returned after the interval a rejuvenated side as they immediately looked to press Wednesday’s back-line, but failed to really trouble Keiren Westwood and his defence.
Instead, the Owls pounced on their struggling hosts on 58 minutes as Forestieri pinched the ball off Mills before laying a delightful pass into Hooper’s path – who calmly stroked home to make it 2-0.
The hosts’ best chance to get a foothold back in the game came through long-standing midfielder Chris Cohen, who forced Westwood into a superb reaction stop from the edge of the area.
With just under 15 minutes to go the Owls were dealt a blow as they were reduced to ten men after Bannan was given a straight red card following a challenge on Forest defender Eric Lichaj.
But Wednesday reacted well to going a man down by scoring the third and final goal of the afternoon on the 85th minute, as substitutes Nuhiu and Matias combined with the latter tucking the ball past De Vries from deep inside the box.
Wednesday: Westwood, Palmer, Loovens, Hooper (Nuhiu, 79), Lees, Lee, Wallace (Lopez, 68), Pudil, McGeady (Matias, 73), Bannan, Forestieri