Cracking goals either side of half time from Dennis Adeniran and Sylla Sow eased a dominant Wednesday into the second round of the Carabao Cup at the expense of Sunderland at Hillsborough.
Man of the match Adeniran set the ball rolling with a quite stunning strike from distance before expertly fashioning Sow’s second.
It was a solid performance from the Owls, who made eight changes from the weekend against a completely fresh Black Cats XI.
Wednesday made their intentions clear from the off and Adeniran drew Alex Bass into a crucial save five minutes in.
But Bass was beaten all ends up by Adeniran as Wednesday stormed into the lead after a quarter of an hour.
Little seemed on for the midfield man when he took possession 20 yards out but after a little shimmy lost his marker, Adeniran unleashed a rocket shot that flew into the top corner.
Wednesday were bossing play, dictating the tempo, and Ben Heneghan headed inches wide from a Reece James pinpoint cross.
Sunderland fans making the journey south had to wait until midway through the first half to see their team launch an attack – Jack Diamond’s low drive across Cameron Dawson rolled just the wrong side of the post.
The remainder of an entertaining opening period played out Wednesday’s way and the visitors had it all to do after the break.
Trai Hume was the architect of a swift move that might have borne fruit moments after the restart. The defender ventured upfield to deliver a peach of a feed that fizzed across the danger area but the ball somehow evaded the onrushing Sunderland attackers.
And the Black Cats’ ill fortune continued on 55 minutes when the Owls doubled the lead. Adeniran, deep out right, swung a delicious cross onto the boot of substitute Sow, who slammed home on the half volley from close range.
The second strike seemed to snuff out any further threat from Sunderland and if there was to be another goal, the feeling was it would go the way of the hosts.
Although 3-0 would not have flattered Wednesday, no further inroads on the Black Cats backline were required and the Owls journey into round two.
Wednesday: Dawson, Palmer, Heneghan (Ihiekwe 46), Iorfa, James (Johnson 81), Brown, Bakinson, Byers, Adeniran (A Hunt 81), Paterson (Cook 72), Gregory (Sow 44)