Forestieri and Nuhiu strike but Wednesday well beaten
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY rallied in the final half-hour of the match to score twice, through Fernando Forestieri and Atdhe Nuhiu.
But by that stage they already trailed 4-0 on a night when relatives of former QPR player and manager Ray Wilkins were at Loftus Road to see the hosts win on an emotional night in west London.
The hosts were 3-0 up within 15 minutes after goals from Paul Smyth, Jake Bidwell and Idrissa Sylla.
The recalled Sylla got his second – a penalty after Tom Lees had fouled Bright Osayi-Samuel – eight minutes into the second half.
Forestieri, starting a game for the first time since August, pulled a goal back for Wednesday just after the hour mark.
Nuhiu then headed in Liam Palmer’s right-wing cross nine minutes later to test Rangers’ nerves, but their early blitz proved decisive.
The opener came when Joe Wildsmith could only palm Bidwell’s left-wing cross as far as Smyth, who steered the ball into the corner of the net from 12 yards.
Then, after fumbling Bidwell’s shot, Wildsmith managed to prevent Sylla getting to the loose ball, but left-back Bidwell followed up.
Wildsmith was powerless to stop Sylla nodding in Darnell Furlong’s cross for the third.
Sylla tucked away his penalty to make it 4-0, but the Owls battled on and Forestieri fired in off the far post. Nuhiu’s finish was also emphatic, albeit ineffectual. BARNSLEY’S hopes of avoiding relegation – buoyed by their derby win over Sheffield United at the weekend – suffered a blow just three days later with this defeat.
The solitary goal came from Jonas Knudsen in the 54th minute.
It came when a corner taken by Mustapha Carayol saw Knudsen strike with a near-post header.
In the first attack of the game Barnsley forward Brad Potts fired wide of the left-hand post from outside the penalty area and then, after Oliver McBurnie was fouled outside the penalty area, Andy Yiadom’s free kick was deflected over the bar for a corner.
From the resulting corner the ball was headed onto the bar by former Ipswich striker Kieffer Moore before being cleared to safety.
Bersant Celina had the hosts’ first attempt on goal, which was comfortably gathered by Adam Davies.
A through ball from Barnsley midfielder Gary Gardner to Potts almost led to the deadlock beijng broken but the striker’s shot hit the side netting.
Barnsley had the ball in the net in the 38th minute, but Lloyd Isgrove was adjudged to be offside.
After Knudsen gave Ipswich the lead Martyn Waghorn had three chances to double the lead, but he he dragged an effort wide, headed just over and then – when leftunmarked in the penalty area – blazed the ball over the visitors’ bar.