Owls youngsters punished in Cup defeat at Fulham
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY are out of the League Cup after a night when their youngsters were taught the harsh realities of toplevel football.
Fulham were clinical in a firsthalf of few chances where the visitors acquitted themselves well, then wasteful as they dominated the second period. It all added up to a first defeat of the season for the Owls.
Theirs was a night to take positives for the future, but the present offers little margin for error. Fortunately, the cup competitions are where most of the leeway can be found.
Having arrived in west London with four clean sheets, the first goal the Owls conceded this season was disappointingly straightforward, Michael Hector’s header playing Anthony Knockaert over the top to square the ball for Aboubakar Kamara to score the Cottagers’ first chance of note after nine minutes.
Tap- ins from low crosses were the way forward for the hosts, who made the most of their opportunities in a first half where they were scarce for either side.
Garry Monk’s line- up was entirely changed from the one which drew 0- 0 with Watford at the weekend, but there was only one change from the side which knocked Rochdale out of round two, Liam Waldock making his Owls debt in Alex Hunt’s place, who was not risked after complaining of stiffness in his knee. Striker Charles Hagan was another debutant from a bench with only five visiting players.
Academy product, Waldock was a busy and assured presence in midfield, looking comfortable in his Premier League surroundings, and on the ball. With fellow 19- year- old Fiyaso Dele- Bashiru – signed from Manchester City this summer – alongside Waldock in the centre, Wednesday’s policy of focussing more on youth looks like it should reap long- term benefits provided they can just get through this difficult Championship campaign, which they started on minus 12 points.
That will be their sole focus for the rest of 2020 after Bobby De Cordova- Reid doubled Fulham’s lead in the 33rd- minute.
Former Owls loanee Josh Onomah spun on the ball and fired it across for De Cordova- Reid to finish, again from close range.
Kamara kicked fresh air instead of a pull- back and having run half a yard off Liam Shaw, Knockaert was off target from another
For all their neatness on the ball, the Owls did not overwork Marek Rodak, who beat away efforts from Adam Reach, and Moses Odubajo. The latter’s effort rounded off a lovely move started deep on the right before Dele- Bashiru switched the ball out to the left.
Wednesday’sonlyotherchance of note fell to the teenager, whose driven shot was saved by the goalkeeper’s legs.
Whether it was tiring legs and minds, growing Fulham confidence or all of the above, the second half was much more onesided even though the Cottagers failed to add to the 2- 0 scoreline.
Hector fluffed a header from Kamara’s deep cross, De CordovaReid allowed Wildsmith to save with his feet after being played in by Stefan Johansen. With the Owls increasingly vulnerable to balls over the top and direct running, Knockaert missed the target, then lobbed onto the top of the crossbar. Neeskens Kebano dinked over a free- kick and Fabio Carvalho could not pick his spot with Wildsmith rushing out at him.
“There was no shame in the performance at all. I thought we were competitive for large parts of it,” reflected Monk.
“It came down to a little bit of naivety in the two goals we conceded – with young players on the pitch unfortunately that can happen – and on the other side of it, when we had our big chances if we could have taken one it maybe could have been a little bit of a different game or ( at least) we could have put them to a bit more of a test.”
Fulham: Rodak; Odoi, Hector, Ream, Robinson; Onomah ( Seri 62), De CordovaReid, Johansen; Knockaert ( Carvalho 79), Kebano, Kamara ( Francois 71). Unused substitutes: Cavaleiro, Le Marchand, Bryan, Fabri, Carvalho.
Sheffield Wednesday: Wildsmith; Shaw, Brennan, Borner; Palmer ( Penney 71), DeleBashiru, Waldock ( Rhodes 79), Pelupessy, Odubajo; Reach, Kachunga ( Hagan 82). Unused substitutes: Dawson, Iorfa. Referee: L Mason ( Lancashire)
There was no shame in the performance at all.
Garry Monk reflects on Sheffield Wednesday’s 2- 0 defeat at Fulham in League Cup.