BAKARY Sako’s first-half free-kick was enough to sink Wednesday at Molineux in the Championship on Saturday.
The loss left Wednesday with an unwanted run of six straight defeats in all competitions and saw Wolves bounce back from their 6-0 cup thumping at Chelsea in midweek and continue their rise up the table.
The Owls left feeling Lady Luck wasn’t on their side, with controversy over Sako being allowed to retake his free-kick and a penalty decision that wasn’t awarded for a foul on Michail Antonio.
But with the game now gone, Wednesday will be desperate to stop the rot when they go on their travels again on Tuesday to Burnley.
Owls boss Dave Jones made changes to the side that bowed out of the League Cup at Southampton. Injuries meant Jermaine Johnson had to fill in at right-back, with Joe Mattock playing in his regular left-back slot. Chris O’Grady partnered Jay Bothroyd in attack.
Wednesday started well and had a good shout for a penalty inside two minutes when Antonio went down under a Stephen Ward challenge, but the referee waved away the protests.
Antonio then turned provider for O’Grady to issue the first shot in anger on the Wolves goal but his effort hit the side netting while Razak Boukari threatened first for the hosts.
Wolves had a bit of a purple patch when Sako and Doyle kept Owls stopper Chris Kirkland on his toes but, on the whole, the visitors were proving a good match for their hosts and showing improvements, if only slight, on recent performances.
The Owls looked to have done enough to go into the break on level terms but Wolves hit them with a sucker-punch just before the interval.
Sako was the scorer, but he needed a second attempt with his free-kick to steer the ball beyond the wall, and Kirkland to make it 1-0 at half-time.
Wednesday’s fragile confidence levels were clearly hit, especially with the goal coming just minutes before half-time, and Wolves took the momentum into the second half.
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Wolves’ top-scorer, tried his chances with a low shot into the side netting shortly after the restart before Slawomir Peszko tried, and failed, from long range.
Jones brought on winger Danny Mayor just after the hour mark as the visitors desperately looked for some attacking inspiration, while Rodri came on shortly after.
But chances were few and far between for Wednesday and, although performing relatively well in the first 45, couldn’t trouble their hosts in the second half.
It allowed Wolves to hang on pretty comfortably to their lead and left Wednesday staring at another defeat.
Wolves: Ikeme, Henry, Sako, Ward, Johnson, Berra, Boukari (Peszko 14), Doumbia, Foley, Doyle (Batth 90), Ebanks-Blake (Sigurdson 84). Substitutes: Edwards, Stearman, Davis, De Vries.
Wednesday: Kirkland, J Johnson, Taylor, Gardner, Mattock, Antonio, Barkley, Semedo, Pecnik (Mayor 64), O’Grady, Bothroyd (Rodri 76). Substitutes: Bywater, Jones, Llera, Corry, Madine.
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