Loan signings Darren Potter and Michael Gray were amongst the catalysts for Wednesday's biggest win since the opening day of the season as the players breathed more life into the new air of optimism around S6.
Despite 6 games without a win, the mood around the club and that of the supporters has been lifted this new year due to the introduction of a new regime but it was important that the team produced the goods on Saturday and few will have left Hillsborough disappointed with the display against Charlton.
Ok, the win came against a club rooted to the bottom of the Championship with as many defeats on the road as any other team in the division but you can only beat what is put in front of you and in fairness if the Owls had hit 6 or 7 it wouldn't have been unjust such was the comprehensive nature of the victory.
Despite a small away following the lure of discount priced tickets boosted the attendance to close to 30,000 and so there was some pressure on the home side to perform in order to show some of the latent supporters what they are capable of. The club paraded ex-Owls favourite Chris Waddle before the crowd in a build-up that included a rousing speech from new Chairman (Yes Chairman- a position the club had previously and somewhat inexplicably felt there was no need to fill for over a year) Lee Strafford.
With off-field developments moving in a positive direction a victory on the pitch was needed to keep good vibes going and despite a slow start Wednesday never looked back once loan signing Potter had lashed in from 20 yards after 16 minutes.
The recent revitalisation of the club has seemingly rubbed off on the players and Francis Jeffers inparticular looked like he had gained a new lease of life. His link up play and movement was causing plenty of problems and he was only denied a first half goal when the Charlton keeper produced a splendid save from an instinctive strike.
The one-way traffic continued throughout the first half with Wednesday finally taking one of numerous chances before the break when Tudgay headed home a Michael Gray corner.
A slow start to the second half saw Charlton have a short spell of possession without truly threatening to get back into the contest and Wednesday were out of sight just after the hour when Jeffers ended his year-long goal drought, rounding the keeper following fine work on the right by Gray.
Potter was denied a double as his thumping free-kick bounced back of the bar before Spring's fine 25-yard shot provided a little consolation for the visitors.
The goal merely served to spark Wednesday again and Gray was denied a first Owls goal thanks to an excellent double save from the Addicks keeper and Beevers fired narrowly over the bar from the resulting corner.
There was still time for Tudgay to be felled in the area and he bagged a brace by brushing himself down to slot home the resulting spot kick.
Wednesday, who now have a week off from league action before a tricky trip to resurgent Nottingham Forest, sit comfortably in 12th place in the Championship table, seven points off a play-off place and eleven points clear of the relegation zone.