Owls raise survival hopes with Sky Blues bashing

This report from the BBC Football website:

Sheffield Wednesday boosted their First Division survival hopes with a superb five-goal demolition of hapless Coventry at Hillsborough. Michael Reddy scored the only goal of the first half before Shefki Kuqi doubled their advantage early in the second half.

Julian Joachim reduced the deficit almost immediately but Wednesday scored three goals in 10 second-half minutes. Paul McLaren's long-range effort made it 3-1 before on-loan striker Lee Bradbury and Kuqi completed the scoring as Wednesday moved off the bottom.

Wednesday looked sharp from the outset and created an opportunity in the first minute. Wednesday were rewarded for their early pressure in the eighth minute when Reddy coolly volleyed home after McLaren's header looped off Calum Davenport into his path. Brian Barry-Murphy created the next opening when he surged into the penalty area, but Kuqi's diving header went wide.

Half-time: Owls 1-0 Coventry

Matt Jansen almost provided a moment of inspiration for Coventry when he fired in a shot which was only just stopped by Wednesday goalkeeper Paul Evans. Turner's side swept forward in the 52nd minute to score a superb second.

Winger Alan Quinn carried the ball for 60 yards before releasing McLaren, whose first-time cross was headed home by Kuqi. The Wednesday fans were still cheering when they conceded a soft goal just two minutes later.

The ball should have been cleared but Joachim stole in to drill the ball into the bottom corner. But the Hillsborough faithful almost raised the roof after Wednesday scored two goals in the space of four minutes. The industrious McLaren restored their two-goal advantage with an unstoppable 30-yard strike in the 59th minute.

And the game was effectively over when Wednesday scored a well-worked fourth. Barry-Murphy's clever free-kick was fired goalwards by Quinn and Bradbury dived in to head home after the ball was parried. City conceded a fifth in the 69th minute. Bradbury played the ball inside and Kuqi fired the ball under Fabien Debec, who should have done better.