Sheffield Wednesday put an end to a 3-match winless run by beating Millwall 2-1 on home soil. Slow starts have been a problem so far this season for the Owls but kicking towards the Kop in the first half they got off to a flier when Adam Reach steered home Morgan Fox’s low cross at the near post inside 5 minutes.
The home side continued to enjoy the better of the opening phase of the game and Bannan went close to doubling the lead from distance but Archer did brilliantly to tip his strike over the bar. Fox was the twice denied from the resulting corner and Wednesday’s fine start was undone by a momentary lapse when Millwall broke. Onyedinma’s shot was deflected and looped up over Westwood for Elliott to deftly flick home from close range.
The Owls went close when Palmer’s shot was tipped around the post by Archer but they would manage to regain the lead two minutes before half-time when Rhodes, on a rare start, headed in Butterfield’s corner kick. The former Blackburn striker then chested the ball and looped a shot towards goal from near the penalty spot and Archer was relieved to see the ball sail agonisingly wide.
The Owls made a nervy start to the second half and Westwood denied Ferguson before Cooper ‘s tame header when well positioned from a set-piece failed to trouble the Wednesday keeper. Loovens made a fine tackle to deny Wallace after the Millwall man had jinked past Tom Lees and the Owls almost made the game safe from the resulting break when Rhodes headed a Ross Wallace cross onto the roof of the net.
With time ticking away Rhodes could have made the game safe when he planted a header against the foot of the post with the keeper stranded and Butterfield then brought a diving save from Archer.
Having struggled for results of late the home crowd might have expected a nervy finish as the game edged towards 4 minutes of time added on but in truth the visitors weren’t able to threaten further and were reduced to 10-men in stoppage time when Cooper picked up a second yellow card for a blatant check on Bannan after the Scotland international had skipped past two challenges.