Despite defeat Sheffield Wednesday fans won't let the football ruin a good day out
As the home fans filtered out after a Stoke City victory, 3,200 Sheffield Wednesday supporters emptied their lungs into the early evening air in Staffordshire.
Another packed away end sang their hearts out as they watched the 32nd defeat of a truly torrid campaign. They’re not going to let the football ruin a good day out.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and Lamine Cisse got the goals as the hosts claimed a 2-0 victory, with a late rally from Henrik Pedersen’s men not enough to spark any sort of comeback.
The first important moment of the game had nothing to do with football. It was around the eighth minute when Stoke City won themselves a corner… Michael Salisbury stopped play, and all four corners of the bet365 Stadium rose to their feet, applauding in memory of young Potter, Oliver Royles.
Oliver, who led Stoke out a year ago against the Owls on Good Friday last year following the ringing of his end of treatment bell, sadly lost his battle with cancer last month after it tragically returned as leukaemia. The coming together of supporters, players and staff was a truly touching moment, and – not for the first time this season – showcased the togetherness that this sport can bring.
It came the day after supporters of Wednesday, Huddersfield Town and other rallied around Jaden Brown after a worrying social media post spoke of his struggles with gambling addiction. He spoke to The Wednesday Word this morning, confirming that he was safe and with his family – ‘God bless the football community’, he said.
Play resumed shortly after the stoppage, but neither side was able to really take ownership of the tie. Bosun Lawal drove a low effort wide of Pierce Charles’ goal, Sean Fusire picked up a booking for a late challenge, and Gabriel Otegbayo couldn’t connect with a bobbling ball in the Stoke box. Real quality was lacking, but battle wasn’t – Wednesday continued to fight their corner despite their desperate position.
But battle often isn’t enough, as we’ve seen so many times this season. In a game that had nothing in it, the hosts broke quickly after a scramble at their end, and Rak-Sakyi was left in acres of space to pick his spot past Charles and a sliding Dominic Iorfa. Jarvis Thornton had been left in a crumpled heap after a blow to the head, but the referee didn’t see any reason to stop play.
The biggest bit of quality from the opening 45 came from one of the men between the sticks… So much gets said about Charles’ quality with his feet that it often takes away from how good he is as an actual goalkeeper.
Seven minutes after their opener, Stoke found space in the box once again. Rak-Sakyi was about to peel away in celebration, only to be left with his hands on his head as the Northern Ireland starlet tipped his effort onto the post. It feels inevitable that Wednesday will have a fight on their hands this summer if they’re to try and keep hold of him.
Half-time came and went, and there were no changes from either side. The Owls haven’t fared well in second halves this season, and unfortunately that didn’t change this afternoon.
2-0, and game over… But given the racket from the away end of 3,262 Wednesdayites you’d think they’d just equalised. ‘Wednesday are massive, everywhere we go’.
It took 12 minutes for Stoke to get a second, and it was Cisse that obliged. Charles made the save after a header on target, but it was straight to the feet of the Frenchman who couldn’t miss. 2-0, and game over… But given the racket from the away end of 3,262 Wednesdayites you’d think they’d just equalised. ‘Wednesday are massive, everywhere we go’.
Tayo Adaramola, Nathaniel Chalobah and Olaf Kobacki came before play restarted, but results this season suggested that chances of a comeback were slim to none. Max Lowe, Jarvis Thornton and Charlie McNeill made way.
Wednesday did improve, though, as the game progressed. Gavin Bazunu made himself big to keep out Kobacki, and Jaden Heskey fired an effort wide of the mark. The Pole proved to be quite a nuisance after taking to the field, but Stoke did seem quite content to see out the game with their two-goal lead.
Glances into the away end saw more and more bare chests on show, with shirts being circled aloft. Another act of defiance from a set of supporters that have had pretty much nothing to celebrate in 2025/26. ‘Everywhere we goooo’.
On the pitch their team huffed and puffed, but to no avail. Devlan Moses, who’s been in fantastic form at youth level, replaced Jaden Heskey… He’s one of 39 players that Wednesday have used in the league this season - no other team has used more.
Despite Wednesday’s pressure, it was still Stoke who went closest to getting the next goal. Once again it was Charles in the way, as he got down well to keep out Eric Bocat. Sean Fusire fizzed an effort just wide just before the final whistle, after a much-improved second half, but there was to be no sign of a comeback. 2-0 it ended, and the -6 remains.
Defeat means that the Owls are now winless in 34 matches - which is the longest of any side in English league history. Only Derby County (September 2007 - August 2008) and Macclesfield Town (January 2012 - October 2018) hold longer winless runs in the top four tiers (36)… It seems a real possibility that that unwanted record could soon be owned by the Owls’ too.
Six games to go, and the end of this season can’t come soon enough.