Owls overcome Posh
The Owls made it back to back Championship wins on Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Peterborough at Hillsborough.
Ross Barkley struck his third goal in two games almost immediately after the half time break before Miguel Llera doubled the lead late in the game with a header into the top corner.
The visitors, though, hit back instantly through George Boyd to set up a nervy end to the game but one that Wednesday saw through to the end to post three very welcome points.
The Owls named an unchanged starting eleven from the previous weekend that comfortably defeated Ipswich at Portman Road.
Wednesday started the brighter of the two sides with Michail Antonio laying down an early marker with a pacey burst into the box and shot on target inside the opening two minutes.
Jay Bothroyd then tested Robert Olejnik on five minutes after springing the offside trap but the Posh keeper made light work of the save at his near post.
Peterborough’s Olejnik was the busier of the two goalkeepers throughout the early exchanges and was forced into action once again at the 15-minute mark.
Lewis Buxton managed to thread a clever ball into Barkley, who twisted and turned his marker before hitting a firm drive on target that Olejnik put behind for a corner.
The game settled into an even affair with possession split 50-50, as both sides searched for a way to strike the first blood.
Posh midfielder Lee Tomlin tried his luck from 18 yards but Anthony Gardner stood up well to prevent the strike reaching Chris Kirkland’s goal.
There was nothing to separate the sides at the break but 15 seconds after the restart, Barkley gave the home side the lead.
The on-loan midfielder, who netted twice at Ipswich last time out, picked up possession outside the area before driving towards goal and blasting into the back of the net to stun the Posh.
Antonio then had a strong claim for a penalty after a tangle with Nathaniel Knight-Percival sent the winger to the deck but nothing given by the referee.
Wednesday were beginning to turn the screw and strengthen their grip on the game and Antonio almost doubled the lead on 73 minutes.
An inch-perfect feed from substitute Rhys McCabe sent the winger scampering in on goal but Antonio couldn’t hit the target, as his improvised strike under pressure rolled the wrong side of the upright.
But the Owls did increase their lead four minutes later through in-form defender Llera.
An audacious cross from Antonio, with the outside of his boot, arrowed straight into the danger zone where Llera was well-placed to head into the top corner.
The 2-0 lead, though, lasted a little over a minute as Boyd gave the visitors a lifeline.
Wednesday could only partially clear a Peterborough corner and Boyd was on hand on the edge of the area to drill hard and low into the net.
But Wednesday came straight back at the visitors aiming to regain that two-goal lead and almost did when Llera headed on target from Bothroyd’s cross but Olejnik saved well down to his left.
There was to be no further drama in S6 as Wednesday move out of the drop zone with three hard-earned points in the bag.
Owls: Kirkland, Buxton, Llera, Gardner, Jones, Antonio, Barkley, Corry (McCabe 24), Semedo, Bothroyd (J Johnson 89), O’Grady (Madine 68)
Unused substitutes: Davies, Mattock, Taylor, Rodri
Peterborough: Olejnik, Alcock, Brisley, Bostwick, Tomlin, Boyd, McCann (Swanson 74), Little, Knight-Percival, Ntlhe (Newell 62), Berahino (Mendez-Laing 82)
Unused substitutes: Day, Zakuani, Barnett, Ferdinand