Sheffield Wednesday 4 - 0 Cardiff City. Match Report

Last updated : 08 January 2024 By BBC Sport

Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Cameron Dawson saved two penalties as the Owls routed Cardiff City at Hillsborough.

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Dawson denied Ryan Wintle and Callum Robinson from the spot after Josh Windass opened the scoring on two minutes with a superb 30-yard effort.

The Owls scored twice in two minutes before half-time as Romaine Sawyers conceded an own goal before Liam Palmer drove home expertly to make it 3-0.

Mallik Wilks added a fourth in added time for the clinical hosts.

Dawson's heroics and a clinical touch in front of goal earned Wednesday victory and a place in the FA Cup fourth round as Cardiff were fully punished for failing to take their chances.

Cardiff manager Erol Bulut missed the trip to Hillsborough through illness and assistant boss Nikolaos Karydas oversaw a chaotic opening 45 minutes where his side had more efforts on goal than the hosts - and missed two penalties - and ended up trailing 3-0 at half time.

Karydas saw his side fall behind as Windass found the bottom corner of the net with a powerful shot.

And by the seventh minute, the Bluebirds had missed two penalties in four minutes as Wintle and Robinson both saw their shots saved by Dawson after Sawyers and Kion Etete were fouled.

Dawson was inspired all afternoon and produced a superb pair of saves in first-half injury time to deny Robinson and Etete as Cardiff sought a way back into the match.

By then they were 3-0 down with the Owls in total control thanks to two goals in two minutes. Sawyers turned into his own net before Palmer teed himself up to rifle home from 25-yards with a deft touch.

Cardiff continued to miss chance after chance with Ollie Tanner and Robinson both firing wide.

Bluebirds boss Bulut has expressed a desire to see the club make signings this month and Cardiff's need for a striker was underlined in a performance lacking in cutting edge.

Wednesday sealed an impressive victory - and seventh successive FA Cup third-round tie - in the first minute of added time as Wilks raced clear and cut inside before firing home left-footed.