REPORT: Owls 3-0 Charlton
The Owls cemented their place in the coveted top six with a convincing 3-0 win over Charlton.
Second half strikes from Tom Lees, Fernando Forestieri and an El-Hadji Ba own goal saw off the determined Addicks, who were under the cosh from the first whistle.
With Forestieri the tormentor in chief, the visitors felt the strain and after stubbornly holding out for the first 45 crumbled in the second.
Wednesday asked all the questions and almost made the perfect start, with Charlton goalkeeper Nick Pope pulling off an athletic save to keep out a looping Forestieri header.
From that juncture, the hosts went on to dominate, enjoying almost all the possession as they forced the Londoners onto the back foot.
From their rare forays into the final third, the Charlton were up against a solid defence that never appeared to be in danger.
But for all their dominance, Wednesday were unable to make the breakthrough before the break and Carlos Carvalhal introduced Alex Lopez and Atdhe Nuhiu for the second half.
The move might have paid immediate dividends too when the substitutes combined well to give Nuhiu a half chance but Pope had the situation under control.
Forestieri brought another fine save from Pope on the hour as the Owls really turned the screw.
Ross Wallace was a whisker away from sending Gary Hooper in on goal, Kieran Lee tested Pope from distance and Jack Hunt was thwarted by some desperate defending from Jorge Teixeira.
The first goal was coming and it duly arrived on 65 minutes. Wallace delivered a perfect corner to the back post where Lees climbed to nod powerfully past Pope.
Six minutes later, it was two. Hunt this time sent in a fine cross that Nuhiu glanced onto the post and Forestieri mopped up from close range.
Then, on 77 minutes, the game was all but over when Lopez took aim from all of 30 yards and his low drive deflected wickedly off Ba and nestled in the bottom corner.
It was nothing more than the Owls deserved as Charlton had no answer to the home side’s power and persistence and Carvalhal’s men head into the final international break firmly ensconced in the coveted play-off positons.
Wednesday: Westwood, Hunt, Loovens, Lees, Pudil, Wallace (Matias 82), Lee, Hutchinson (Lopez 46), McGeady (Nuhiu 46), Forestieri, Hooper