CARLOS HAS HIS HOUSE IN ORDER
SHEFFIELD Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal says good housekeeping was to thank as his new side recorded an openingday win over Bristol City.
Second-half strikes from Tom Lees and Lewis McGugan ensured three points for Carvalhal on what was his first competitive game in English football.
After a close first half, Wednesday came out the blocks quicker than City and sealed the victory thanks to two goals in a 15-minute spell.
The Portuguese said afterwards:“I’m happy because I feel everyone at the club is happy.
“I think we put in a professional exhibition. When we went 2-0 up, it’s time to close the doors and windows.
“The players closed everything. We don’t want light inside our house so therefore we closed everything.
“Bristol are a hard team who play positive football, but like all the teams in the world they have some weak points. We were 100 per cent perfect.
“We pressed Bristol when we needed to and when we had the chance to attack, we attacked.
“We played very positive football and we respected the opponents and played very hard to stop their strong points.”
As for City, their first game back in the Championship ended in defeat but Steve Cotterill was defiant over his team’s showing.
The Robins boss said: “Wednesday played counter-attacking football at home and we’ve got done on the counter for their second goal.
“It wasn’t a tough baptism when you think of the overall 90 minutes.
“The first goal from the set-play is our fault; if you don’t get tight in the box then you’re living on a knife-edge.
“Our football was every bit as good as theirs today, if not better.
“They’re alright, but when you look at it today it was a game that we dominated with regards to possession.”
Wednesday had endured a summer of change, with Carvalhal bringing in 11 new players while City had kept faith with the majority of their League Onewinning team from the previous term.
The opening 20 minutes were cagey although that was probably to be expected, given there were seven debutants on display, but it soon sprang into life with both sides stepping up a gear.
Luke Freeman went close for City with a daisy-cutter before Wednesday duo Atdhe Nuhiu and Marco Matias both mishit efforts when well-placed.
Aaron Wilbraham then forced a straightforward save from home stopper Keiren Westwood before Matias went closest of all when he beat Frank Fielding but saw his shot slither past the right-hand post.
Alex Lopez then blasted over for Wednesday, as did visiting striker Jonathan Kodjia just before the break.
After the interval, Wednesday’s winger Ross Wallace stung Fielding’s fingertips with a long-range free-kick as Wednesday upped the ante in search of the opener.
And that opener duly arrived right on the hour mark, when centre-half Lees powered a header home from a corner that proved too hot for Fielding to handle.
City substitute Wes Burns then saw a header cleared off the line by McGugan before the same player sprinted up the other end to double the hosts’ lead.
In classic breakaway style left-back Jeremy Helan surged forward and found Wallace on the left.
The Scot then put in a deep cross which was gleefully slotted home at the back-post by McGugan, who had dashed the full length of the pitch.