Sheffield Wednesday moved up to 4th place in the League One table as returning winger Jermaine Johnson provided the Owls with a cutting edge at Huish Park.
Alan Irivine chose to make one change to the side that beat Leyton Orient last time out with Daniel Jones replacing Tommy Spurr at left-back. Yeovil striker Dean Bowditch proved his fitness and was able to start while recent injury victim Jean-Paul Kalala made the bench for the hosts.
Wednesday created the best of the early chances with Tudgay heading just wide from a Jones cross and then after ten minutes Teale fired Morrison’s low cross over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Having just about weathered the early storm Yeovil grabbed a foothold in the game. Gavin Williams fired a shot over the bar before namesake Sam tested Weaver, who made a comfortable save. Influential Yeovil defender Adam Virgo who is always a threat from set pieces was forced off with an injury and replaced by Craig Alcock with ten minutes of the first half remaining. Neither side managed to create any more clear cut chances of notes in the first 45 and the half ended on level terms.
The Glovers had the first chance of the second half when Huntington headed a punted free kick by Welsh wide and the home side felt Owls skipper Darren Purse should have been dismissed for an alleged stamp after a tussle with Gavin Williams but the incident was not seen by the officials.
Tudur Jones tested Weaver from distance with the Owls stopper equal to the effort and with a little under half an hour remaining Wednesday made their first change with Johnson coming on for Teale.
As the match wore on the first goal was evermore important and within ten minutes of entering the fray Johnson scored it in spectacular fashion. The Jamaican winger received possession from fellow substitute Mellor on the left side edge of the penalty area, cut inside a defender and curled an unstoppable shot in to the opposite top corner of the goal to send the visiting fans behind the goal into raptures.
Full back Ayling struck a volley on target as the home side looked to respond while Purse headed over from a corner at the other end. Johnson however was proving to be the difference between the two sides with his pace causing problems and the sub was involved again with ten minutes remaining as the Owls made the game safe. His pass put Otsemobor into space and the full-backs run was halted in the box when Ayling brought him down. With regular penalty taker Tudgay having been substituted Tommy Miller stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way.
With four minutes remaining Otsemobor received a straight red card for an ugly tackle on Smith and with five minutes of stoppage time shown Tudur Jones went closest to reducing the deficit when his header hitting the top of the bar. The header caused Weaver to dislodge the netting in the goal when backpedalling, adding yet more stoppage time but the ten men saw this out to record their second successive away win.
The clean sheet was Wednesday’s fourth in a row in the league and having conceded just seven goals in the league so far, the Owls boast one of the best defensive records in the whole of the football league.
Next weekend sees the fourth placed Owls entertain third placed Bournemouth in what promises to be an intriguing clash at Hillsborough.