Sheffield Wednesday once again failed to take advantage of featuring in the only League One game to go ahead due to the fact that the weather affected most of the weekend programme and although they still sit in 2nd place after this 5-1 hammering the teams around them now have games in hand.
Exeter staff and fans did everything they could to ensure that Saturday’s match went ahead but owls fans that faced a treacherous journey home will wish they hadn’t have bothered will all their efforts after this humiliation.
Wednesday stuck with the same 11 that had been so impressive in the victory over Bristol Rovers last weekend and in a fairly even first half there was little sign of the embarrassing collapse that was to follow. Both sides saw early shots go off target, Johnson firing wide for Wednesday and Sercombe over the bar for the hosts.
Nicky weaver hadn’t been unduly stretched in the opening exchanges but just before the half-hour mark he was picking the ball out of the net having been beaten by a low strike from experienced striker Jamie Cureton. Wednesday’s response was immediate as within a minute they earned a corner kick and from Spurr’s cross Miller scored with a volley that just went over the line despite the efforts of Ryan Harley. Cureton then went close to connecting with Golbourne’s cross before Johnson was denied a clear run on goal by a great saving tackle from Duffy as the sides went into the break on level terms.
The second half started slowly but sprung to life just before the hour. The Owls were denied a goal when Morrison netted following a sweeping move only to be denied by an offside flag and from their next attack the home side regained the lead. There appeared to be little danger when the ball broke to Sercombe 25 yards out but the midfielder chested it down and struck an excellent volley that gave Weaver no chance. The Owls were rocked by this and within three minutes they fell further behind as they failed to clear a ball into the box and Golbourne capitalised on the mix up to fire home.
Cureton then shot over the bar from six yards with the goal at his mercy but the striker made no mistake on 72 scoring his second of the game with a deft flick past the helpless Weaver. Exeter sub O’Flynn compounded the visitors misery on 88 minutes, curling in a strike having controlled Cureton’s cross before the referee finally put the Owls out of their misery by blowing the final whistle on a miserable afternoon for all that had made the difficult journey.
Wednesday have now lost 3 away games in succession in league and cup and will need to rectify this at Tranmere on Boxing Day if they are to keep the promotion chase on track.