Wednesday 3-2 Scunthorpe United

Wednesday made it three wins from as many home league games this season when they edged out Scunthorpe United at Hillsborough by the odd goal in five on Saturday.

Gary Madine enjoyed arguably the best game of his Owls career as he netted a brace of goals, while Ben Marshall got on the scoresheet for the first time since his loan move from Stoke City.

The Iron, who had the disadvantage of playing less than 48 hours prior to the clash in the League Cup, refused to throw in the towel and goals from Bobby Grant and Mark Duffy kept them in it right until the end.

It was far from Wednesday’s best performance of the campaign, but the three points were all that mattered, and the Owls’ first back-to-back league victories of the campaign will increase confidence levels at S6.

Wednesday boss Gary Megson made a string of changes to the side that bowed out of the League Cup with a 3-1 loss at Blackburn Rovers in midweek. Nicky Weaver returned in goal, while Rob Jones was also passed fit to feature against his former club.

The hosts came flying out of the blocks, desperate to make amends for Wednesday night’s sluggish start which gifted Blackburn three goals inside seven minutes.

And it resulted in an early goal. Lewis Buxton did the hard yards down the right and produced a dangerous low cross which ended with Madine tapping home from point-blank range after Clinton Morrison saw an effort saved.

It was a fast-paced start to the match but the visitors almost had a golden opportunity to get on level terms almost immediately.

The Iron went straight down the other end and were awarded a penalty by the referee after Chris Dagnall fell under a challenge by David Prutton inside the box. The Kop were up in arms over the decision but, after the referee consulted with his linesman, he reverted on his decision and a corner kick was awarded.

The danger was still very much present though, and Clinton Morrison was well positioned to divert Sam Togwell’s effort off the line from the resulting corner kick.

The scores could have easily been level, but just ten minutes later Wednesday doubled their lead through Marshall.

The winger, on-loan from Stoke and starting his second game in the blue and white stripes, picked up the ball on the left and cut inside his marker before unleashing an unstoppable effort which curled into the back of the net.

Despite Wednesday’s two-goal cushion the visitors still posed a threat in attack, keeping the Wednesday defence on their toes throughout the 90 minutes.

Dagnall was proving to be the biggest danger and he stuck the foot of the post with one effort as Scunthorpe tried but failed to get on the scoresheet before the interval.

If anything, Wednesday could, and perhaps should, have extended their lead further. Clinton Morrison held the ball up inside the box and was fortunate to see his marker slip, giving him the time and space to turn and fire an effort which went flying over the bar when he should have at least hit the target.

Things went Wednesday’s way in the first half though, and Megson will have been pleased with the 2-0 cushion he found his men enjoying in the dressing room at half-time.

Half-Time: Wednesday 2-0 Scunthorpe

The Owls were keen to inflict more early misery on their visitors, as they did in the first half, and Marshall came close to grabbing his second goal of the game when he forced Josh Lillis into a fine save.

But it was Scunthorpe who were mainly calling the tune at the start of the second half as they looked for a way back into the contest.

They needed a goal sooner rather than later to do that but had to wait until the 67th minute to get themselves on the scoresheet.

Grant collected a neat ball from Andy Barcham inside the box and he produced a neat low finish beyond Weaver to get a deserved goal for the Iron and make it a nervous final 20 minutes for the hosts.

But while many inside Hillsborough will have no doubt expected Wednesday to fold under the pressure, the Owls did exactly the opposite and regained their two-goal cushion within minutes.

The visitors were pushing for a leveller but while they were piling men forward, Jose Semedo cleared the danger and the Owls hit the Iron on the break, with Gary Madine breaking the offside trap and running with the ball before producing a powerful shot which beat Lillis and made it 3-1.

It should have been game, set and match for the Owls, but Alan Knill’s men refused to throw in the towel and grabbed another lifeline with four minutes to go when substitute Duffy pulled another goal back and made it a tense ending.

It could have got even better for Scunthorpe when Duffy forced Weaver into a brilliant diving save. But the Owls hung on for three vital points which saw them climb up to ninth in the league table.

Full-Time: Wednesday 3-2 Scunthorpe

Wednesday: Weaver, Buxton, Batth, Jones, Bennett, Palmer (O’Connor 82), Semedo, Prutton, Marshall, Madine, Morrison (Lines 57). Unused substitutes: O’Donnell, R Johnson, Sedgwick.

Scunthorpe: Lillis, Wright, Nolan, Togwell (Collins 64) Nelson, Ryan (Thompson 64), Dagnall, Norwood, Grant, Canavan, Barcham (Duffy 77). Unused substitutes: Slocombe, Reid.