Wednesday boys do their bit to ensure safety on the pitch
GARRY MONK praised his players for the win that makes Sheffield Wednesday mathematically safe – now he only has to worry about the accountants.
First-half goals from Dominic Iorfa (below) and Josh Windass – plus a Jacob Murphy wonder strike – ended a run of three defeats and means Wednesday can no longer be pulled into the bottom three by events on the pitch.
But the Owls could still end up there if they are deducted points for an
EFL charge for financial misconduct.
Monk said: “I am very proud of the players to score three goals and keep a clean sheet.
“As I have said before, I don’t want to talk about things off the pitch. I am just looking to deal with the football side.
“That is what we can control in our situation and today the aim was to pick up three points for everyone and bring the positivity back.”
There was a minute’s silence for World Cup winner and former Wednesday boss Jack Charlton before kick-off. He would have loved the direct running of Alessio Da Cruz which won the fifth-minute free-kick that led to the opening goal. Windass’ strike was palmed out by Joe Lumley, who then tipped Massimo Luongo’s 20-yard follow-up on to the post only for Iorfa to drill the loose ball into the far right corner. Windass headed a second on the stroke of half-time before Murphy’s curling shot into the top corner in the 78th minute. Rangers boss Mark Warburton said: “We were way below our levels. “We were off the pace, hopeless in our passing and lacklustre.”
MICHAIL ANTONIO ran riot at Carrow Road with a four-goal haul as he ruthlessly relegated Daniel Farke’s hapless Canaries.
The Hammers’ striker took advantage of half-hearted defending, claiming not only his first hat-trick as a senior professional but instead managing to go one better – enabling David Moyes to breathe far more easily at the foot of the table.
His goals slammed the relegation trapdoor shut on the hosts who slipped into the Championship with no more than a whimper after recording their seventh successive defeat – their sixth since football restarted.
Antonio, who it should not be forgotten was once on the fringes of Gareth Southgate’s England squad, proved lethal from two set-pieces before the break.
He claimed the matchball by charging through a helpfully ill-disciplined rearguard shortly after the restart. And when he grabbed his fourth in the 74th minute, he equalled his tally for the rest of the season. Antonio was the beneficiary of a side that demonstrated all the characteristic failings of a dispirited outfit.
Farke had all but run up the white flag before kick-off, saying it was ‘99 per cent’ certain they would be demoted. That kind of message, unintentionally or not, can have an effect on players.
But, by this stage of the season, the German will have had a fair idea of Norwich’s capabilities in this company.
It did not make for pretty viewing, from almost the first blast of referee Kevin Friend’s whistle.
The Hammers, under severe pressure themselves to