Regular Wednesdayite.com match reporter Matthew Herring brings us his match report from the Owls League One game against Brighton & Hove Albion at Hillsborough on Saturday 21st August 2010.

A hard earned 1-0 win put the Owls into 4th place in the league and one of four teams all on seven points at the top end.

OWLS 1-0 BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION - THE PERFECT HOME RECORD

Wednesday continued the perfect home record this season, in a game that bodes well for the season ahead.

After a card free opening day, the only evidence that referees at this level are more lenient was the fact that both teams kept eleven players on the pitch. Brighton may have been dirtier, especially with niggling fouls and off-the-ball tugs, etc, but Wednesday rose to the bait, and arguably should have been down to nine. Mellor may have been provoked, but if you raise your arms and push a player over, you should be sent off and so it must say something either for Brighton’s reputation or provocation (which could have given us a penalty just before the push) that it was only a yellow. Let’s hope that this is a wake-up call, and that we learn to have more self restraint in future. As I saw the other incident, at first I thought good tackle, then it sunk in that Sedgwick had jumped in with studs raised, and their player looked like he’d a broken leg. As the yellow was given, and their player got up to complain, it looked more and more like the referee had got it right.

Plenty of positives on the day. Weaver deserved another clean sheet with some good saves, good command of area and better distribution. The defence held up well, limiting Brighton’s chances and deserving the bit of luck when Brighton hit the bar or missed. Teale and Sedgwick showed more promise on the wings, which can only get better as the team become used to each others play. After a very poor showing against Bury in the cup, where he looked unfit, Mellor had a great game. Good strength, running and vision. And the only real bad luck on the day was that one of his shots did not get us a second goal. Potter played better than I had feared when I saw his name as a starter, but is yet to control a game like a player of his quality should. And Giles Coke showed that we may have a gem of a player – tough tackling, good passing, able to run with the ball, and the knack of scoring goals. At this rate he’ll be our best goal-scoring midfielder for years – although there hasn’t really been much competition lately.

Tudgay seems to be coming in for a bit of stick lately, largely because (along with most of the team) he had a poor time last year. But he covered most of the pitch, won his share of headers and was unlucky that his glancing header from a corner in the second half didn’t get him a goal. Hints of good linkup play with Mellor may have given Alan Irvine a decision over what our first choice front two is going to be.

As we left, a steward called us over to tell us that we were top of the league. A bit premature with the other results, and particularly as I don’t think a table should be printed until at least a month into the season, but a sign that there is a positive feeling around Hillsborough, and certainly much better than our position in recent years.

Up the Owls.
Matthew.

NEXT UP:
SCUNTHORPE UNITED (A) - CARLING CUP ROUND 2
TUESDAY 24 AUGUST – 7:45PM