REPORT: Owls 1-0 Forest
Emulating the magnificent cup win over Arsenal on Tuesday was always a tough ask but the most important thing was the points – which Wednesday delivered against Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough.
A second half strike from Fernando Forestieri sealed victory, whilst extending the Owls’ unbeaten run into double figures.
The visitors delivered a resolute display but once Wednesday took the lead, their second success of the week was never really in doubt.
They made an enterprising start to the game, with Atdhe Nuhiu a whisker away from connection on a Daniel Pudil cross inside five minutes.
Forest came back and an open contest saw Nelson Oliveira go close from Jamie Ward’s accurate feed.
The influential Barry Bannan slipped a delightful ball through to Kieran Lee just before the half-hour but Dimitar Evtimov was out to smother the danger and the debutant keeper did well to parry a Pudil piledriver moments later.
Lee then aimed a fine chip that beat Evtimov but also the far post as the Owls shaded the first half, certainly in terms of chances – until nine minutes before the break, Forest squandered the best one when Ward headed a Daniel Pinillos cross wide from close range.
The Owls came out for the second half on the front foot and Nuhiu headed over having been picked out well by Bannan.
Carlos Carvalhal introduced Lucas Joao to the attack in a bid to turn the screw on Forest, who rarely emerged from their own half.
And the Midlanders’ resolve was finally broken on 68 minutes. Forestieiri skillfully took a high ball under his control and moved away from his marker to smash a fierce shot beneath Evtimov and into the bottom corner.
Joao might have doubled the advantage ten minutes from time, drilling wide after unselfish work from Jeremy Helan, but the Owls saw out the match squarely in the driving seat to go into the midweek clash against league leaders Brighton with another shot of confidence.
Wednesday: Westwood, Loovens, Semedo (Joao 57), Nuhiu (Hooper 85), Lees, Lee, Hunt, Wallace, Pudil, Bannan, Forestieri (Helan 79)