Sheffield Wednesday 5-1 Norwich City
The Owls End Season With Five-Star Performance
Sheffield Wednesday rounded the 2017/18 season in style as they thrashed Norwich City on a glorious day at Hillsborough. Atdhe Nuhiu and Fernando Forestieri netted for Wednesday in the first half. Frederico Venancio put the home side further ahead before Nuhiu completed his hattrick either side of a Timm Klose consolation which confirmed a convincing win to finish the season on.
Wednesday started the brighter and front man Fernando Forestieri had two great chances in the opening ten minutes to put the Owls into the lead. A great interchange of passes allowed Nuhiu to poke it through to Fernando Forestieri who saw his shot bounce across goal and wide. Moments later, Bannan sprayed the ball down the wing for Reach who ran with it before seeing his cross headed out by Timm Klose to Forestieri who curled his shot high and over the bar.
Ash Baker made his first team debut for the Owls, he was on hand to make a vital piece of defending to deny the Canaries from taking the lead. Lewis’s looping cross was redirected towards goal by Oliveira but Venancio managed to intercept the shot. The ball fizzed into the air where Hernandez held off Bannan before sharply turning and cutting it back into the box. Oliveira miss-kicked the ball into the path of Murphy who fired a shot towards goal which was superbly blocked by Baker.
Wednesday got their noses in front in the fourteenth minute of the game. Loovens played it to Joao on halfway who marvellously turned his man and advanced towards goal. Joao outpaced Lewis and Trybull before cutting inwards where he was clipped by Klose. Joao managed to maintain his balance and passed the ball to Forestieri who slotted Reach down the left. Reach delivered a gorgeous cross towards the corner of the six yard box where Atdhe Nuhiu powered a header across goal and into the back of the net.
Minutes later, Bannan excellently picked out Reach on the far right. Reach darted down the right before cutting back and rolling it across to Joao who ran over the ball and made a run into the box. Nuhiu slotted it through for Lucas but Joao was marshalled away from the ball by Lewis which allowed Angus Gunn to come out and pick it up.
Sheffield Wednesday were gifted a goal on the half hour. Christoph Zimmermann was unaware of Forestieri’s pressing and played the ball back to the keeper. His pass back was under-hit allowing the forward to nip in and stab the ball past an out-rushing Gunn.
Norwich City almost pulled a goal back several minutes after the Owls’ second goal of the game. Ivo Pinto raced down the right before coming back on himself to tee up Oliveira who let the ball run across his body before bending a fierce effort which went just wide of Dawson’s far post.
Glenn Loovens then received a standing ovation as he exited the field of play. The Wednesday club captain was saying goodbye after five seasons of hard work devoted to the club. His leadership helped the Owls stay up and also reach Wembley as Wednesday made it to the Playoff Final in the 2015/16 season. (Thank you for everything Loovens!)
Norwich had another sight of goal on the stroke of half-time. Josh Murphy played a ‘give and go’ with Hernandez and then skipped past the sliding challenge of Venancio before advancing through on goal. As he pulled the trigger, Ash Baker closed him down and made a fine tackle to keep out the winger.
The half-time whistle went with Wednesday leading 2-0. A solid first half from the Owls as the dominated most of the play. This trend carried on into the second period however this time City started the brighter with two chances in two minutes.
Josh Murphy accelerated down the left channel before crossing into the centre for Oliveira whose miss-judged header looped high into the air and Thorniley headed away to safety. Trybull collected the ball and the teed up Oliveira again on the edge of the area but the Portuguese striker turned and fired over.
Tom Trybull then was teed up thirty yards away from goal by Onel Hernandez. Trybull took aim and rifled a first time shot towards goal but the attempt was straight down the keepers throat and Dawson held onto it.
Wednesday added a third goal to their tally in the fifty-ninth minute. Firstly Joao was brought down on the edge of the box by Klose. Forestieri stepped up and saw his set-piece go over the wall but tipped wide by Gunn in the Norwich goal. Pelupessy’s short corner was passed around from Forestieri to Bannan and then to Reach who subsequently swung in a great ball into the middle where Frederico Venancio exquisitely volleyed the ball into the bottom corner. This is Venancio’s last game before his loan expires.
Wednesday were flying at that point as they added a fourth goal thanks to another defensive mistake. A fabulous passing display between Pelupessy, Nuhiu, Joao and Forestieri allowed the latter to play Pelupessy down the right-hand side. Pelupessy crossed into the middle where Zimmermann clattered into Gunn as he went up to claim the cross. The ball landed kindly for Nuhiu who slammed in his second of the game.
The away side pulled a consolation goal back with seven minutes to go. Norwich took the corner short to Murphy who turned and wrong-footed his marker before he saw his shot deflect into the path of Klose who hammered his shot past Cameron Dawson.
Wednesday were denied another goal due to a great save from Gunn. Bannan intercepted Klose’s passed and slotted Forestieri through on goal. The Italian headed towards goal but saw his shot saved by the feet of Angus Gunn.
Angus Gunn then made another wonderful save a minute later. Jordan Thorniley latched onto Pelupessy’s through ball and floated an accurate cross towards the back stick where Nuhiu thumped a header towards goal however Gunn managed to get a hand to the effort to palm it away from danger.
Atdhe Nuhiu got his deserved hattrick in the third minute of injury time. Forestieri played a one-two with Nuhiu before being thwarted in the box by Hernandez. Nuhiu stepped up and stroked the spot-kick into the bottom corner. This was the first hattrick scored by a Wednesday player since Neil Mellor in the 2010/11 season.
The referee stopped proceedings shortly after to end the season on a high for the Owls after a poor first half to the campaign.
Attendance: 28,189
Goals: Nuhiu (14’,60’, p90+3’), Venancio (58’), Forestieri (30’); Klose (83’)
SWFC: Cameron Dawson; Ashley Baker (Liam Palmer), Frederico Venancio, Glenn Loovens (Jordan Thorniley), Daniel Pudil; Barry Bannan, Joey Pelupessy, Adam Reach (Marco Matias); Lucas Joao, Atdhe Nuhiu, Fernando Forestieri
Unused Subs: Joe Wildsmith, Tom Lees, Frederik Nielsen, Jordan Rhodes
NCFC: Angus Gunn: Harrison Reed, Christoph Zimmermann (Sean Raggett), Timm Klose, Jamal Lewis; Onel Hernandez, Tom Tryball, James Maddison (Ivo Pinto), Moritz Leitner, Josh Murphy; Nelson Oliveira (Dennis Srbeny)
Unused Subs: Michael McGovern, James Husbands, Marco Stiepermann, Marley Watkins
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