Sheffield Wednesday came out on top in the first South Yorkshire derby of the season, as they defeated the Reds 2-0 at Hillsborough on Saturday afternoon.
Head Coach, Daniel Stendel named an unchanged starting eleven from the side that beat Fulham 1-0 at Oakwell on the opening day of the season, but it was a completely different result this afternoon.
In a match that had a real derby day feel about it, Wednesday came out of the blocks quickly and soon had the ball in the back of the net, just one minute in.
Jacob Murphy found space on the inside left of the penalty area after an initial shot by Kadeem Harris deflected into his path and he made no mistake with the finish as he slotted calmly past Sami Radlinger to make it 1-0.
Murphy had a chance to double his tally not long after when Harris was brought down on the edge of the area. The attacker lined-up the set-piece, but fired just wide of Radlinger’s goal.
However, just moments later, it was the Reds who threatened, when Toby Sibbick made a good run down the right flank and crossed low for Luke Thomas, but his side-footed effort nestled into the side netting.
The Reds continued to push for an equaliser, as Sibbick looked to get in down the right again, but he saw Cameron Dawson in the Wednesday goal intercept just before he was able to latch onto the forward pass.
Radlinger then saved a Julian Borner header, before he had to be on hand to expertly deny Adam Reach in the 33rd minute, who had gone through one-on-one after beating the offside trap.
Just before half-time, Malik Wilks dragged his shot inches wide of the post and Cauley Woodrow saw his close-range effort blocked well by Dawson, as the Reds went into the break with all of the momentum in attack, but couldn’t quite find a way to level the score.
HALF-TIME: SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 1-0 BARNSLEY
As we got back underway for the second-half, Harris got on the end of a lofted through ball, but out came Radlinger to block the effort away.
Harris and Fletcher both came close for Wednesday again, but Radlinger denied them the opportunity to further extend their lead.
Seconds later, Wilks raced down the left-hand side and searched for Woodrow in the centre, but as the striker looked to steer his shot past the goalkeeper at the near post, a Wednesday defender threw his body in the way to block for a corner.
The resulting set-play caused chaos in the Owls box, as Cameron McGeehan delivered for Alex Mowatt, however, the midfielder’s effort went over the bar.
Despite the Reds looking the most likely team to score midway through the half, Wednesday hit them on the break and scored a second. Fletcher was the man to net, as his low drive from the edge of the penalty area flew into the bottom corner after 60 minutes.
In an attempt to get back into the game, Stendel made a double substitution, as Mamadou Thiam and Conor Chaplin replaced Bähre and Wilks.
Thiam almost made an instant impact, as he cut back onto his right foot and shot, but a covering defender was able to clear off the line.
With ten minutes to play, Radlinger spread himself big to deny substitute Massimo Luongo, before Woodrow headed over for the Reds.
There were five additional minutes, but no further chances, as the Reds suffered their first defeat of the season against their local rivals.
FULL-TIME: SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 2-0 BARNSLEY
TEAM LINE-UPS:
Sheffield Wednesday: Dawson, Palmer, Lee (Luongo, 80), Harris, Fletcher (Rhodes, 77), Borner, Murphy, (Pelupessy, 74), Lees (C), Reach, Odubajo, Hutchinson.
Substitutes not used: Jones, Fox, Nuhiu, Forestieri.
Reds: Radlinger, Diaby, Anderson, McGeehan, Woodrow, Bähre (C) (Thiam, 61), Cavaré, Thomas, Sibbick, Mowatt (Styles, 77), Wilks (Chaplin, 61).
Substitutes not used: Collins, Williams, Halme, Miller.
