Michael Smith tames the Shrews and Sheffield Wednesday set new record - but Owls are playoff bound

The pressure was on Wednesday given that at kick off their hopes of automatic promotion weren’t yet over, and they opened the game up patiently, knocking the ball around nicely as they probed a Shrewsbury side with nothing but pride left to play for.

It didn’t take too long for their opening, either, but it took a move of real quality to see it through to fruition.

Starting at the back, including Cameron Dawson and the returning Michael Ihiekwe, Wednesday moved the ball forward one pass at a time, before Dominic Iorfa slipped through a killer ball to Smith, he found Lee Gregory, and the number nine’s backheel was right into the path of the Owls’ top scorer, who couldn’t have finished much better as he placed it into the top corner to grab his 13th of the season.

It was a solid away performance for the Owls as they chased a record 12th victory on the road in a league campaign, and they were relatively comfortable in defence – the only scare being a scramble in the box that was eventually blocked superbly by Ihiekwe.

Meanwhile, Ipswich Town were effectively promoted as they put Exeter City to the sword, and Plymouth Argyle had edged ahead of Burton Albion by the time the half time whistle was blown.

Whether or not Wednesday knew that their hopes were hanging by the thinnest of final threads or not, they came out firing in the second half.

Gregory went close within moments, getting on the end of a fluid Owls move only to see it deflected wide of the goal, and they weren’t to be denied for long.

Johnson, so often the architect for Darren Moore’s side, picked up the ball brilliantly in his own half, drove forward and continued his run after releasing the ball. Barry Bannan found him on the overlap – another staple of this season – and his cross was clipped right onto the head of Smith. He couldn’t have caught it nicer, leaving Marko Marosi with no chance.

Former Owl, Chey Dunkley, went close for Salop, but Dawson was more than up to the challenge as he gathered inside the six-yard box, and Luke Leahy almost closed the gap as his effort from range clipped the bar.

Bannan struck from range not long afterwards after some tremendous hold-up play from Smith, but it soared over the bar and it felt like the game was petering out. Aden Flint and Tyreeq Bakinson were introduced for Ihiekwe and Dennis Adeniran, ‘Icky’ having given a great account of himself on his first start back.

Wednesday weren’t done yet, though… A mistake in the midfield offered the Owls captain all the time in the world to find Smith, who shrugged off his man before slipping it past Marosi. It was 3-0, all over, Wednesday kept up their end of the bargain for the day.

Liam Palmer and Bannan were given a rest as Jaden Brown entered the fray and Josh Windass made his long-awaited return to action – safe to say he’ll be needed in the next couple of weeks.

Play-offs it is, then.

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