Owls reserves offer little resistance

Last updated : 12 November 2008 By C. Morris

Sheffield Wednesday reserves suffered their biggest defeat of the season despite putting out probably their strongest side of the campaign so far away at Middlesbrough on Tuesday evening.

Wednesday now have one defeat and one win in the reserve league cup competition having previously beaten Bradford, with one game still to come against Grimsby.

Middlesbrough, who compete in the Premier Reserve League Northern section, fielded a strong line-up themselves with five players who had recently been part of the first team squad involved from the start including one-time Owls target, winger Adam Johnson.

This proved to be more than a match for an experienced Owls side which included the likes of Jeffers, Sodje, Simek, Burton, Small and Gilbert with the home side running out 5-0 winners although three of the goals did come in the last 15 minutes after Jeffers and Sodje had made way.

Although the emphasis will have been placed more on stepping up the fitness of the first team players than the result, the size of the defeat will be no doubt disappointing and none of the players involved have done much to make a claim for a first-team starting role against Derby County on Saturday.