Wednesday got their 2008/09 campaign off to a flyer at Hillsborough on Saturday with a resounding 4-1 win over Burnley.
Two goals inside the first four minutes through Marcus Tudgay and Akpo Sodje set the ball rolling before Martin Paterson pulled one back for the Clarets. But Sodje promptly added a third and then Tudgay a fourth to seal the Owls' first opening day victory for five years.
Brian Laws handed a league debut to ex-Clarets midfielder James O'Connor while fellow new recruit Jimmy Smith, having recovered from a pre-season ankle knock, had to be content with a place on the bench.
O'Connor had barely touched the ball when the Owls got off to a dream start with two goals inside the first four minutes.
Mark Beevers won possession deep inside his own half and sent Sodje racing down the left channel. Sodje picked out Tudgay on the edge of the box and the latter fired high past Diego Penny to hand the hosts the perfect start.
Remarkably, the Owls went two goals to the good three minutes later. Deon Burton was the architect this time, showing smart awareness when surrounded by three defenders to feed the onrushing Sodje, who buried emphatically past Penny from 15 yards.
The visitors had to hit back quickly to stay in the game and did exactly that on six minutes. Full back Graham Alexander ran free down the right and floated over an accurate cross that Paterson converted on his first competitive start for Burnley following his summer switch from Scunthorpe.
Burton headed narrowly over the bar as the game continued its frantic start and Chris Eagles set off on a dazzling run before Richard Wood's late intervention on the edge of the penalty area thwarted the ex-Owls loanee.
But just as Burnley were beginning to find their feet, Wednesday bagged a third goal on 16 minutes. O'Connor sent Jermaine Johnson scampering down the left and the Jamaican international found Sodje loitering at the back stick unmarked to restore the two-goal lead from close range.
Sodje's second proved his last action of the contest as the big man went down nursing what appeared to be a knee injury 22 minutes in. Leon Clarke came on for an early appearance from the bench.
The exit of Sodje triggered a lull in the game. Wednesday would always struggle to improve on their amazing start and the loss of their striking talisman underlined the point.
The Clarets began to enjoy more possession but with little end product - Eagles was at the hub of most of the action - and the visitors went into the break with a mountain to climb in the second half.
Both sides had chances immediately after the interval with Clarke going close for Wednesday and likewise Chris McCann for the Clarets.
O'Connor picked up a yellow card for pulling back Eagles 30 yards from goal and Robbie Blake's resulting free kick whistled wide with the aid of a slight deflection.
Another darting Johnson run came within a whisker of sending Clarke clear before Beevers went into the book for a foul on Paterson.
But the game was all but over as a contest on 64 minutes as Tudgay claimed his second goal. Burton fed Clarke on the edge of the box and the former Wolves man held off a clutch of defenders to tee up Tudgay, who slotted comfortably home low and hard past Penny.
Still Wednesday pressed and Penny was called into action twice inside a minute. Sean McAllister sent Clarke through and the Clarets keeper was quick off his line to avert the danger. Then Tudgay found space 20 yards out and tested Penny with a piledriver that was parried wide for a corner.
Owls: Grant, Hinds, Wood (c), Beevers, Spurr, Johnson Smith (Smith 69), O'Connor (Watson 88) McAllister, Tudgay, Sodje (Clarke 22), Burton
Unused substitutes: O'Donnell, Esajas
Burnley: Penny, Alexander, Duff, Caldwell (c), Paterson, Elliott, McCann, Blake (Akinbiyi 77), Jordan, van der Schaaf (Gudjonsson 59), Eagles
Unused substitutes: Jensen, Kalvenes, Mahon
Referee: Mr C. Oliver
Attendance: 23,793
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