Yorkshire | Narrow defeat for Wednesday on a night of protest

Sheffield Wednesday 0 - 1 Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough closed the gap on Championship leaders Coventry City to a single point with a win over struggling Sheffield Wednesday at an almost empty stadium.

Author | Jay Dean

Stadium | Hillsborough

Wednesday supporters stayed away in large numbers, continuing their protest against owner Dejphon Chansiri, as the team slipped to a third consecutive defeat and remained bottom of the table.

In front of a sparse crowd, Morgan Whittaker netted his second goal in as many games in the sixth minute, which proved decisive for Boro. The visitors missed several chances to extend their lead and had a penalty appeal turned down, but still secured a seventh victory from 11 games, extending their lead over Millwall in third to four points.

The backdrop to the game was tense off the field. With a winding-up petition from HMRC looming, Wednesday fans had called for a boycott to pressure Chansiri to relinquish ownership. Outside the ground, the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust projected a message on one of the stands demanding the owner leave.

Inside, large sections of the stadium were empty, contrasting sharply with a sold-out away end of more than 3,600 Middlesbrough supporters. The cavernous Hillsborough was largely silent, broken only by the travelling fans. The home side’s struggles at their own ground continued, having claimed just one point from six home games this season, scoring once and conceding 15.

Was it all bad for Wednesday?

Middlesbrough were tested throughout, particularly in a second half dominated by the Owls. Despite their control, Wednesday could not find a way past a disciplined Boro defence, who maintained their grip on the top two.

In the closing stages, the home side won a string of corners, but Boro remained composed and resolute, seeing out the game to secure the points.

A battling three points for Middlesbrough 

Boro head coach Rob Edwards had warned his players to expect a “different atmosphere”, and they responded immediately, scoring with their first meaningful attack. Having waited 26 games to open his account in Friday’s win over Ipswich, former Plymouth Argyle forward Morgan Whittaker wasted little time in adding another, sweeping in Delano Burgzorg’s cross past Owls goalkeeper Joe Lumley, who was making his debut on an emergency loan from Bristol City. Lumley was fortunate to escape conceding a penalty after bringing down Tommy Conway following a heavy touch, but later produced key saves to deny both Conway and Burgzorg before the break.

The Wednesday keeper was busier still in the second half, notably tipping over Alan Browne’s close-range volley and blocking well from substitute Kaly Sene. Boro’s victory was deserved, although Sol Brynn was also called upon to make a couple of important stops as the hosts chased an equaliser. The narrow scoreline reflected Wednesday’s effort, but the result underlined the contrast in fortunes between the two clubs, with Boro enjoying their best start to a season since 1991.