Barnsley 1-2 Sheffield Wednesday: Darren Moore secures his first win in charge of the Owls

Jordan Rhodes’ brace provide Darren Moore with a first win as Sheffield Wednesday manager and breathed surprise new life into the club’s relegation fight.

In a serious shredding of the Championship’s form book, Rhodes headed the second-bottom club into the lead before the break, and then accepted an inviting square ball from Josh Windass to sweep home a second before a Barnsley team that gatecrashed the top six on a run of nine wins from 10 undefeated matches, made for a tense finish finale through substitute Carlton Morris’ deflected strike.

‘Give Barnsley credit because they make it very difficult for you but it’s having the ability to stand your ground as well in terms of competing for every single ball. It was a highly-committed performance,’ said Moore.

Darren Moore has achieved his first win as Owls boss thanks to Jordan Rhodes’ brace

‘But we also got our foot on the ball, linked some passes and showed composure in the final third of the pitch.’

Wednesday overcame the disappointment of being pegged back by Huddersfield in Moore’s fourth game in midweek, and also had to deal with goalkeeper Keiren Westwood pulling out with a chest muscle twinge in the warm-up.

However, their tactics of lifting the ball over Barnsley’s high defensive line paid dividends, and they should have been ahead in the 21st minute, only for Rhodes to stab wide with the goal at his mercy after Brad Collins had rushed recklessly out of his area.

The 31-year-old was on target seven minutes before the break, though, when he leapt highest to meet Barry Bannan’s left-wing centre and head into the top corner.

Rhodes netted either side of half time to give Moore’s side a crucial win in their relegation fight

And a second piece of clinical play from the visitors resulted in the doubling of the advantage eight minutes into the second half when Liam Palmer’s harrying knocked the ball into the path of Windass, who unselfishly slipped it into Rhodes’ path.

Barnsley manager Valerien Ismael made three half-time changes in a bid to change the dynamics of the contest and one of them in Morris’ thrashed in a half-volley to make for late Wednesday anxiety.

But they held on to burst Barnsley’s bubble and move to within six points of fourth-bottom Birmingham with a game in hand.

The Owls are now six points of fourth-bottom Birmingham with a game in hand to play

Ismael suggested the contest would have taken a different course, however, but for two early decisions by referee Tim Robinson.

The home team had already wasted a glorious chance to go 1-0 up through Michael Sollbauer when striker Daryl Dike hit the turf in a penalty area tussle with Tom Lees. Soon afterwards, Barnsley had the ball in the net only for an infringement on Westwood’s stand-in Joe Wildsmith to be spotted.

‘It was really embarrassing we didn’t get the penalty and one goal is disallowed and we don’t know why. When you see the replay it’s clear. The referee had to do his job. Two things were really bad for our side,’ Ismael said.

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

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