League One leaders Sheffield Wednesday lost for the first time in the league this season as Brentford prevailed in the Sunday lunchtime clash in front of the Sky TV cameras. A first half goal from hot shot Charlie Macdonald was enough to separate the sides though in truth the margin could easily have been greater.
Alan Irvine chose to go with the side that won 5-0 at Hartlepool last Saturday with James O’Connor once again having to settle for a place on the bench despite his two-goal match winning display in midweek.
Both sides started brightly with some neat passing moves but Brentford settled better and created the better chances. Potter cleared from off the line as a tame header from O’Connor drifted towards goal and Weaver saved easily from a Simpson header as the winger stretched to reach the ball.
The Owls were failing to make the most of their early possession and allowed the Brentford midfielders and attackers too much time on the ball, allowing them to create more when they had the ball.
The closest Wednesday got was an effort from Teale from the edge of the box that fizzed just over the bar but the home side got their reward inside the last five minutes of the first half when a long throw fell to Macdonald who controlled well inside the box and swivelled to fire an great strike across Weaver into the opposite corner of the goal. The setback briefly jolted the Owls into action but despite some pressure Wednesday were unable to muster a clear cut chance from open play or set-pieces and went in a goal down at the break.
A bright start to the second half saw Tudgay fire a shot down the throat of Hamer in the home goal but the home side quickly got back on the front foot and they were denied a second when Weaver saved and Beevers was alert to clear the follow up effort off the line.
A second goal for Brentford was looking more likely than an Owls equaliser and the crossbar came to the visitors rescue when Simpson’s audacious strike cannoned off the woodwork to safety.
With Morrison and latterly Heffernan introduced into the fray Wednesday reverted to a 4-4-2 formation but despite Potter and to a lesser extent substitute O’Connor having plenty of the ball in the centre of the park the Owls lacked width or pace up front to get behind their opponents. Coke combined well with Tudgay but an attempted curled effort was easily smothered by Hamer and Wednesday were being well restricted by their hosts.
Weaver pulled off an acrobatic save from Adams to keep Wednesday in with a chance but the Owls failed to carve out a clear cut opportunity to rescue a scantly deserved point and so suffered their first league defeat of the season, failing to score in a competitive game for the first time in 11 matches.
Despite the defeat Wednesday remain top of the League One table and face second placed Carlisle at Hillsborough next Saturday.