Owls show their mettle to come out top in Steel City derby

The Hillsborough underdogs, who last beat their arch rivals in September 2002, ended a miserable run and manager Brian Laws celebrated by throwing his Wednesday scarf in the air before hurling it to the home supporters behind the dug-out.

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Bryan Robson's post-match reaction was understandably less enthusiastic as he promised a clear-out at Bramall Lane.

Laws said: "My wife is a Sheffield Wednesday fan and she told me my bag would be packed and at the front door if we lost. She gave me a scarf and when the first goal went in, I threw it in the air.

"This was a great introduction to my first Sheffield derby and it was a magnificent feeling. The atmosphere was unbelievable and I'll savour it for a long time.

"Talk about hairs standing up on the back of your neck. Sodje's energy and enthusiasm got everyone going and they couldn't handle him for an hour. We've got to take this into our next game, the FA Cup replay against Derby on Tuesday, and hopefully it will ignite our season."

Wednesday, with only one win from seven games, came out fighting, Jermaine Johnson close with a long-range strike before Tudgay ran on to a Johnson pass, only to mis-time his shot, which flashed over the target from the edge of the area.

Nervy United escaped again when dangerman Johnson drilled in an angled strike, the ball taking a deflection before Paddy Kenny fingertipped it over the bar.

The breakthrough came in the 25th minute when Johnson was given too much space by Chris Armstrong and swept over a low cross. The ball curled away from the diving Kenny and Sodje, lurking at the far post, sidefooted the ball over the line for his seventh of the season.

United had a half-chance when Lee Martin, on loan from Manchester United, picked out Michael Tonge 12 yards from goal but the midfielder miskicked.

Wednesday almost snatched a second when Sodje's spectacular overhead kick was pushed wide by Kenny. At the other end, goalkeeper Lee Grant saved the home side, tipping the ball over when it deflected goalwards from Tommy Spurr's vital tackle on Rob Hulse.

Glenn Whelan then cleared Hulse's header off the line but 14 minutes from time, sub Leon Clarke picked out Tudgay, who volleyed home from six yards.

Robson said: "When I gave all the players new contracts in the summer to keep everybody from last season on board, I'm not so sure that was the right decision."