Keeper's howler lifts Wednesday out of drop zone
Sheffield Wednesday climbed out of the EFL Championship relegation zone with a vital 3-1 win at Blackburn Rovers, thanks largely to two goalkeeping errors from Rovers keeper Aynsley Pears.
Roared on by a 7321-strong away contingent, Danny Rohl’s men responded with a deserved victory on an edgy afternoon against fellow strugglers Rovers.
Josh Windass’ spectacular early lob was cancelled out in the ninth minute by Sammie Szmodics’s well-taken finish, the 31st goal of his incredible league season.
Wednesday took control with two goals in six second-half minutes as Marvin Johnson slotted in to finish a lightning break, before Pears endured a moment to forget when he somehow sliced a clearance into his own net.
The win moves the Owls a point and a place clear of the bottom three after making it four unbeaten.
Blackburn was brought back down to earth after its big win at Leeds United and aside from a second-half chance for Szmodics, barely threatened. It is now just three points clear of trouble.
Wednesday’s vociferous away support was rewarded with a sixth-minute opener as Pears was stranded after racing out of his box to head a ball clear but Rovers lost possession and when it fell to Windass, he brilliantly lifted the ball in off the crossbar from 35 yards.
The prolific Szmodics equalised within three minutes as he latched on to Callum Brittain’s pass and though his first touch was heavy, he confidently lifted the ball over James Beadle from eight yards into the bottom left corner.
Both sides were disjointed and untidy in possession, but Wednesday should have scored in the 37th minute when Windass turned Anthony Musaba’s low cross wide.
It went close again when Johnson set up Liam Palmer, who blazed over, while a simple long ball set Szmodics clear in first-half stoppage-time but Bambo Diaby got back to thwart him.
Wednesday did regain the lead in the 58th minute after winning the ball on the right and Musaba raced down the wing before sending in an inch perfect cross for the onrushing Johnson at the back post, who emphatically found the bottom corner from six yards.
The visitors registered a third six minutes later, but it was all Blackburn’s doing and a horror moment for Pears who, under no pressure at all, completely mis-hit his clearance from Dominic Hyam’s pass and it spun behind him and into his own net.
Rohl’s men were in control at this point but they were let off when Szmodics fired over from 12 yards, though Musaba went close to capping a superb performance with a goal but Pears somewhat redeemed himself with a terrific reaction save to palm away.
Will Vaulks’s powerful free-kick forced Pears to parry away in stoppage-time but Wednesday had done enough to register a crucial victory.
