Wednesday 2-0 Colchester United

Goals from captain Ron Jones and Reda Johnson ensured Wednesday made it a magnificent seven at home with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Colchester United at Hillsborough in npower League One.

The Owls have won all seven of their league matches on home soil this season, but they had to wait until the second half to open up what had been a stubborn U’s defence in the opening 45 minutes at S6.

Wins elsewhere for leaders Charlton Athletic and Huddersfield Town meant Wednesday remain in third place in the table, but the victory leaves the Owls well positioned and within striking distance of the top of the table.

Wednesday manager Gary Megson stuck with the same eleven that started the Steel City derby last weekend, although the hosts only burst into life once Jermaine Johnson came on to replace James O’Connor in the second half.

While the hosts were in top form going into the game, John Ward’s men weren’t in bad shape themselves, despite a mini injury crisis in defence, and they started the game in confident mood.

It took Wednesday a while to settle into their stride and that meant Colchester enjoyed a good chunk of possession for the opening 20 minutes, although Owls stopper Stephen Bywater was relatively untroubled in goal.

Kemal Izzet had the best early chance for the visitors but he directed his header well wide of goal when he should have done better from a dangerous cross.

Man-of-the-moment Gary Madine was first to fire on target for Wednesday but it was straight into the arms of Ben Williams, the Colchester goalkeeper, and then Chris Lines sent a curling effort over the bar.

The hosts were slowly but surely gaining the upper hand and they had the ball in the back of the net on the half-hour mark only for the referee to rule it out for a foul. The Hillsborough Kop was in full cheer when Madine headed in from a Ben Marshall throw but the man in the middle chalked it off.

The effort still lifted the home support, and players, and both Lines and Madine again went close to opening the deadlock as half-time edged nearer. Marshall also went on a few dangerous runs towards goal, one of which went into the side netting, but the first half remained goalless.

Half-Time: Wednesday 0-0 Colchester

As has been the case in recent matches, a dull first half saw Megson make an attacking charge to start the second half, with Johnson coming on for the frustrating O’Connor.

The Owls tried to get the Jamaican in the game, but it was Stoke loanee Marshall who looked the more dangerous on the other wing, causing the Colchester defence all kinds of problems with his mazy runs.

It was Marshall who forced Williams into the first save of the half, albeit a comfortable one. But from the resulting corner the Owls came within a lick of paint from opening the scoring. Marshall swung the ball in and Madine struck the crossbar from a goalmouth scramble.

Wednesday were on top and it wasn’t long until they got what their efforts deserved. Madine turned his man neatly before unleashing a powerful long-range effort which Williams could only parry – straight into the path of Jones who smashed the rebound into the back of the net before being mobbed by his team-mates.

The Owls continued to push forward, not allowing the U’s a way back into the game, and O’Grady came close to extending the lead but Williams did well to deny the former Rochdale man a first home goal.

It was 2-0 with 20 minutes to go. Madine was this time the provider, drilling a low cross across the face of goal for Reda Johnson to smash home from point-blank range and wheel away in celebration in front of the Kop.

The U’s did try and get back into the contest but their heads were down and they struggled to create any clear-cut chances in front of goal.

If anything, the lead should have been extended in Wednesday’s favour. Jermaine Johnson had a golden opportunity to make it 3-0 but he turned and shot his effort well wide when it was easier to find the back of the net.

Ryan Lowe and Liam Palmer were both introduced late on see the clock down, not that it needed it, but the former couldn’t get his first Owls goal after returning from injury.

It was ‘job done’ for the Owls, another three points and another home win to keep them well in contention for promotion from League One this season. Next up, a tricky trip to Carlisle United on Tuesday night.

Full-Time: Wednesday 2-0 Colchester

Wednesday: Bywater, Buxton, Batth, Jones, R Johnson, O’Connor (J Johnson 46), Semedo, Marshall (Palmer 86), Lines, O’Grady (Lowe 84), Madine. Unused substitutes: O’Donnell, Bennett.

Colchester: Williams, Heath, Izzett (O’Toole 77), Antonio (Gillespie 69), Bond, Odejayi, Henderson, Eastman, Wilson (White 86), Wordsworth, Coker. Unused substitutes: James, Duguid.