Stuart Pearce made one change to the starting line up from the one that started at Bolton - Steve Jordan recovered from a stomach bug and replaced Nedum Onuoha.
Match news:
The visitors’ 6,000 fans were in fine voice as the game began in heavy drizzle on a chilly Mancunian evening, Wednesday wearing their bright yellow away kit.
The first alarm of the evening came on six minutes when Dunne overhit a backpass that had Weaver back-pedalling right onto his post, but he was able to get rid of the ball quickly before Brunt was on top of him.
Corradi won a free kick on 11 minutes, and from it City went agonisingly close to taking the lead. Barton placed his shot low around the wall, and with Crossley not moving an inch the ball just scraped the outside of the post.
Wednesday were not content to play second fiddle to the home side and went close themselves on 16 minutes. Brunt fed Tudgay inside the area, and his skimming shot from a tight angle was pushed away with his right hand by Nick Weaver.
Barton and Corradi combined well on 19 minutes to put Ireland in, and although his shot was tame Crossley spilled it into Barton’s path, but Wednesday’s defence meant he could only stab it wide. Seconds later Vassell was put free and moved into the left of the box, but his touch was heavy and Crossley blocked with ease.
Weaver was in the right place again on 29 minutes, when a clever free kick move saw Lunt fire a well-hit shot into the area but City’s keeper, on loan to the Owls for a time last season, was right behind it.
Vassell spurned an even better chance than his first on 35 minutes, again from a one on one with the keeper, but this time Crossley managed to deflect the striker’s shot with his right leg.
Sinclair picked up a yellow card with eight minutes of the half left for handball, which means the midfielder will miss the game after Saturday’s home game against Blackburn.
Brunt went close with two minutes left, his left footed shot just bending wide at the last moment, but we did not have long to wait for the first goal, and it went to City!
Corradi fed Barton, who burst into the right side of the box and squared to Stephen Ireland, who rolled his shot back across the retreating Coughlan and into the bottom corner of the net. The Irishman obviously likes scoring against teams from Sheffield!
The visitors brought on Folly & Small for Lunt & Burton.
And it was Wednesday who made the best start to the second half and levelled the tie on 51 minutes.
Brunt swung in a free kick from the right of the area, and captain Lee Bullen got in front of the entire defensive line to flick his header over Weaver and into the corner of the net to the noisy delight of the Wednesday fans behind City’s goal.
Ireland fed Vassell two minutes later and Crossley once again saved with his feet, and the former Forest stopper took a heavy blow for his troubles as he collided with City’s striker.
But the former Villa striker more than made amends for his misses on 56 when he struck to give City the lead once again! Corradi slid the ball back to him inside the box, and Vassell checked briefly before raising the ball across and beyond Crossley into the top right hand corner. It was the City fans’ turn to go noisily berserk now!
The game had really opened up as Wednesday chased an equaliser, but City had another great chance on 71 minutes. The offside trap was beaten when Barton’s neat pass found Vassell, who crossed for Corradi but the Italian had slightly over run the ball and his attempted flick was deflected wide by Bullen.
Weaver and Richards got in each other’s way from a free kick with just over a quarter of an hour left, but thankfully Tudgay blazed the rebound just over the bar.
Samaras replaced Corradi with 14 to go, and he had a decent chance within three minutes of coming on, but as he ran onto a Barton through ball Crossley was able to smother it and the chance was gone.
Tudgay had another opportunity with 10 minutes left, but his left-footed shot went high, wide and into the Wednesday support behind Nick Weaver.
Samaras raced through into Wednesday’s half but with Vassell & Sinclair in support, he elected to go for glory himself and was caught in a pincer movement by the central defenders.
Tudgay had another chance with four minutes left, chesting the ball down to himself but firing his volley from a tight angle a long way over Weaver’s left hand corner.
Mark Crossley went up for a corner with two minutes left but as City cleared they could not pump the ball towards his net as he tried to get back. Seconds later Samaras had another chance but rolled his shot across the face of the net and wide.
Substitute Richard Wood nodded just wide at a corner in stoppage time, this time Crossley held back from throwing himself into City’s box to the boos of the home crowd!
There was still time for substitute Beasley to feed Ireland in the area, and he looked to have scored his second only to see City Academy graduate Glenn Whelan clear it off the line.
Referee Dean blew for time shortly after, and City are into the next round to face Southampton at home on Sunday January 28th at 3.00pm.
