Sheffield Wednesday took a bloody beating at Ipswich Town - but they're not dead

It's the internet meme that best sums up the final moments of Sheffield Wednesday's trip to Portman Road on Saturday. It's probably fair to assume nobody is in the mood for a full explanation, but it depicts a crowd of children crying in anguish as Homer Simpson, dressed as Krusty the Clown, ruthlessly beats a man he thought was stealing hamburgers.

Sat watching the events of a chastening 6-0 defeat at the hands of Ipswich Town, it felt almost as surreal as the scene described above. Ali Al-Hamadi's brace, secured in the 80th and 90th minutes of the mis-match, served as those final Simpson strikes on the bloodied face of Wednesday's burger thief, the ball rippling the net to deliver almost needless blows to a side that had in truth been beaten to death much earlier. Those watching on of a Wednesday persuasion could only cower and pray for mercy. It came via the final whistle.

On the day they were too open and too lightweight. The midfield was swamped, the defence powerless. And Ipswich were really quite excellent. Danny Röhl - who later sought to take responsibility for the nature of the defeat and guard his players from criticism - set them up to build on the positive signs shown against Leeds United and take it to their former League One sparring partners. Some 43 points separate the two sides now and in technicolour hindsight there's a fine line between bravery and, well, something else. But it's bravery that has taken the Wednesday Röhlvolution far beyond the realms of what many thought possible.

The German coach was quick to point out that after four wins on the spin, defeats to two title-challenging sides have cost them a single point in the survival scrap after results elsewhere went their way. The bigger picture hasn't shifted all that much and the nature of a 6-0 thrashing won't sting nearly as much in a fortnight. What will be of greater concern are injuries to key men Barry Bannan and Ian Poveda, both who left Suffolk with injuries and both of whom carry initial prognoses that have no guarantees of a return against Swansea City on March 29.

The last rites were read by some on Wednesday's Championship status after a 4-0 reversal at Huddersfield Town 42 days ago before a second-string Owls lost 4-1 in a one-sided FA Cup meeting at Coventry City three days later. They rose again and then some, shaking off defeat at Leicester City on a run of five wins in six. Anyone rushing to write them off again after their humbling at Ipswich does so bravely. The evidence suggests they're made of strong stuff and are well capable of bouncing back.

Sheffield Wednesday remain just a point shy of the safety spots. The bigger picture remains within grasp and if their goals are achieved the suffering in Suffolk will be looked back upon with a shrug of the shoulders.

Like in the case of Homer's burger thief in that Simpsons episode, the crowd of kids are mistaken. The Owls are bloodied and bruised, they've taken one hell of a beating. But they're not already dead.