The Owls Under-21s maintained their push for a top-two play-off spot with a 3-1 victory over QPR at Middlewood Road on Friday.
Wednesday were dominant in the PDL clash and thoroughly deserving of maximum points - a measured Cian Flannery strike and Adam Adetoro headed double did the damage.
Following a bright start in the Middlewood sunshine, Flannery gave the Owls an early advantage, rounding off a well-worked move to open the scoring.
With just six minutes on the clock, Gui Siqueira played the ball across the edge of the box where Flannery was poised, and the defender’s first-time effort flew into the top corner.
Wednesday could have been 3-0 up inside 20 minutes as Favour Onukwuli forced a good save from Matteo Salamon and Mackenzie Maltby’s downward header bounced just over the bar from a Flannery corner.
But having seen those chances come and go, QPR scored an equaliser 21 minutes in.
Joseph Ajose pounced on a long punt over the top, carried the ball inside from the right and buried a low strike past the outstretched arm of Jack Hall.
Wednesday were forced to reshuffle as captain Siqueira went down with injury and was replaced by Bruno Fernandes, who almost regained the hosts’ lead moments after his introduction.
Rio Shipston’s inch-perfect feed sent Fernandes scrambling through on goal but Salamon got just enough on the near post strike to tip onto the post and out for a corner.
A missed opportunity for the Owls but the next goal did arrive from the resulting set piece as Adetoro met Shipston’s corner to head home from close range.
Wednesday doubled their advantage after the break in similar fashion.
This time it was Flannery with the corner but the outcome was the same – another towering leap from Adetoro and the ball dropping into the back of the net.
The Owls were in control but as the half went on and the game opened up, there was a sense that a QPR goal could completely swing the contest.
With 15 minutes to go, the R’s fashioned a promising situation just outside the box but as Rafferty Pedder fired towards goal, Maltby made a terrific block to repel a comeback.
As the clock ticked down and Wednesday well on course for victory, Jarvis Thornton dragged an effort from range wide after winning possession in midfield.
The Owls now move up to second in the table, two points behind leaders Birmingham and one point in front of Sheffield United, who have games in hand in the battle at the top.
Next up is a clash with Wigan on Tuesday 2 April at Hillsborough (12 noon).
SWFC | Hall, Maltby, Otegbayo, Adetoro, Siqueira (Fernandes 30), Shipston (Trialist 84), Glover (Thornton 67), Flannery, Buchan, Onukwuli, Trialist
