South Yorkshire football saw a busy weekend of football with victories from Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Rotherham United, Barnsley, and Doncaster Rovers, all securing important wins.
Sheffield Wednesday overcame hopeless Portsmouth in a 2-1 win at Fratton Park in a classically tight, quintessentially championship football match.
It was Portsmouth who opened the scoring, with Connor Ogilvie netting from a short-range effort that found itself lodged in the top right corner. Following that, however, it was all Sheffield Wednesday. The Owls scored in the 55th and 70th minutes, with Josh Windass and Michael Smith overturning the deficit.
Danny Röhl will be pleased with the result, but some might have expected to see a dominant display against a team struggling to adjust to life in the Championship.
The Blades returned to winning ways, seeing off Stoke City in an emotional game of football that saw a beautiful tribute to the recently departed George Baldock.
Both Tyrese Campbell and Keifer Moore netted today on a more conventional 442 system, which was applied to great effect at the Lane.
Blades fans will hope that the alteration in the system will maintain solidity in their ongoing promotion push while leaving more room for goals from the forwards.
Steve Evans got one over on his old side, Stevenage, in a commanding display of football, with a 2-0 win at the New York Stadium.
The Millers jumped to 14th due to this performance, surpassing the victims of the day, Stevenage, but continuing to fall short of preseason expectations.
Mallik Wilks and Joe Hugill were among the scorers on the day and have likely offered a reprieve to the gaffer after heavy speculation surrounding the security of his position. Barnsley travelled to New Meadow in Shrewsbury and matched their local rivals, coming away with a 2-0 win.
Barnsley playoff hopefuls had a myriad of big chances throughout the game, with Max Rutters and Jonathan Russell being the pair to convert their respective chances.
This result has left the Tykes just outside the playoffs, solely on goal difference, and will have them in high spirits to take on South Yorkshire rivals Doncaster Rovers in the EFL Cup on Tuesday.
The Rovers took on promotion rivals Bradford in gameweek 14, and despite their lack of possession, they stormed to a 2-1 win.
Luke Molyneux netted first in the 57th minute, swiftly followed by Billy Sharp’s 50th goal for the club.
Grant McCann made several changes, including a complete overhaul of the team’s shape compared to the previous outing against Bromley, which likely proved pivotal in the smash-and-grab performance.
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