Wigan Athletic vs Sheffield Wednesday. Sky Bet Championship.
DW StadiumAttendance13,037.
Sunday 5 February 2017 17:11, UK
Ross Wallace scored the only goal of the game to send Sheffield Wednesday back into the Sky Bet Championship play-off places with a 1-0 win at Wigan.
The Owls forward's deflected effort just before half-time decided a scrappy affair at the DW Stadium on Friday night and took his side up to sixth in the table.
Wigan headed into the night knowing victory would see them climb out of the relegation places, but Warren Joyce's side, who had won their last two league games, fell to defeat.
A largely uneventful first half of football appeared to be drawing to a dull conclusion until the deadlock was broken after 43 minutes via Wallace.
Jordan Rhodes, making his debut for the club following his switch from Middlesbrough, managed to win a header on the area and nudge it on to Wallace, and he saw his poked shot take a slightly fortuitous touch off a defender before looping over Wigan goalkeeper Jakob Haugaard and into the net.
Chances were few and far between in the second half as well, with both sides struggling to create anything of note in the final third.
Wigan boss Warren Joyce threw on debutants Omar Bogle and James Weir in an attempt to get back into the game, and the latter headed over after 75 minutes after being found in the area by Stephen Warnock's cross.
Eventually, though, Wednesday saw that game out and secured their spot back in the top six ahead of the rest of the weekend's action.
Wigan boss Warren Joyce:
"I don't think we deserved to lose the game, I thought there was a lot of good play and endeavour, particularly in the second half.
"We just talked about managing the game through, but just before half-time we conceded more or less from our free-kick. It was a poor goal, which was disappointing.
"There's a long way to go this season, there'll be ups and downs. We've just got to focus on ourselves and try and win every game."
Sheffield Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal:
"It was not a good game, I understand that. The two teams were fighting a lot. We know in this moment it's very important [to see] it's the beginning of the rest of the season and we needed the three points.
"I'm sure after today we'll perform much better, play our football and we'll win a lot of games also with good performances.
"We've played three in a row away and now we've got two at home. I'm not saying it will be easier because you never know in [the Championship], but our fans will be with us and everyone is enthusiastic again."
