Wanderers found the going tough against an experienced Sheffield Wednesday side at Burnden Park last night.

They lost Gudni Bergsson just 20 minutes into his comeback game, when he went off with a cut under his eye which needed stitches, and found former England striker David Hirst in fine form on his return.

Wanderers started brightly enough with Scott Taylor shooting just over the bar from 20 yards and Greg Strong sending a free-kick narrowly wide of the target.

Wednesday went ahead in the 13th minute when Hirst got in a curling shot from the edge of the area that beat Gavin Ward's dive. On the half-hour Michael Williams played a one-two with Hirst that created space to get in a shot for the Owls' second.

Visiting keeper Matt Clarke saved from Fabian de Freitas and Hasney Aljofree before Williams netted his second and Wednesday's third on the break after 75 minutes.

Seven minutes from time de Freitas outpaced Brian Linighan and chipped the oncoming keeper, the ball going into the net off the inside of the post.

In the closing stages Taylor had a header cleared off the line and also shot wide from a good position.

Team: Ward, Whitehead, Small, Todd, Bergsson (sub Marsh), Strong, Whittaker, Burnett, de Freitas, Taylor, Aljofree.

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