Sheffield Wednesday recovered from a poor first-half showing to beat Salford City 2-1 at Moor Lane on Tuesday evening, second-half goals from Davis Keillor-Dunn and Jamal Lowe cancelling out Ben Woodburn's early opener in the newly rebranded Jersey Mike's Trophy.
It was a night that mattered for reasons beyond the group table. Debutants Joel Akpobi and Will McPartland were both involved in the goals that turned the game, Di'Shon Bernard made his first appearance in 19 months, and Akpobi's display was strong enough that Wednesday handed him his first professional contract the following morning.
Wednesday punished for a sluggish start
Salford controlled the opening 45 minutes almost entirely, finishing the half with ten shots to Wednesday's one and taking the lead through Woodburn in the 34th minute. Ashley Maynard-Brewer, given his own debut in goal ahead of Joe Lumley, kept the deficit to a single goal with a series of important saves. By full time the shot count read 19 to 5 in Salford's favour, with the hosts also picking up four of the match's five yellow cards.
Salford boss Peter Cklamovski felt his side's dominance deserved more than a defeat, telling the Star afterwards that Wednesday "are a good side and respect to them because they're doing well in their league, top end of the table," while maintaining his own team's performance "deserved a result."
Keillor-Dunn and Lowe turn it around
Henrik Pedersen's side found a different gear after the break. Speaking to The Wednesday Word, Pedersen said: "There was intensity, there was verticality, there was deep running, and there were people in the box. These are a lot of things that we're working with, and I'm happy to see a goal go in like that."
Keillor-Dunn provided the goal in question, heading in his first for the club in the 55th minute after Akpobi's driving run down the flank ended in a cross for the striker to attack. Lowe made it 2-1 from the penalty spot in the 77th minute, the foul won by a give-and-go between McPartland and substitute Callum Slattery inside the box. Pedersen pointed to both senior figures growing into the game and the fringe players around them: "It was good to see Keillor-Dunn grow, he needed game practice. We're seeing Jaden grow. There were many players who needed game practice who grew through the game. This is what we need, and when we come back again we need training time to train who we want to be. And I'm sure there will be more players who bring themselves to the front to be around the starting XI."
Akpobi's big night ends in a pro deal
Akpobi's assist was the standout individual contribution of the evening. The 18-year-old winger got on the ball early, kept trying things against Salford's defenders, and eventually found the touch that let Keillor-Dunn equalise. Pedersen described him as visibly nervous before growing into the occasion, telling the Star: "He was nervous, so nervous. But he did it really, really well... He played with a big, big courage and a big heart."
Wednesday confirmed the following day that Akpobi had signed his first professional contract, a two-year deal that rewards a rapid rise since he joined the club from Welling United last year. Akpobi said the moment meant a great deal after years of trying to break through: "I'm so happy, I've got no words! When I was younger, I used to think 'will I ever get one'. I was on trial for so many years at lots of clubs. It means so much to me."
McPartland, who joined from Middlesbrough's under-18s, also made his senior debut and played his part in the winning goal. Pedersen said the youngster had been "a little bit down" in recent form but was now "on the way up again."
Bernard's long-awaited return
The most emotional moment of the night belonged to Di'Shon Bernard, who came through 60 minutes on his first appearance since February 2025, having built up to it with a run-out for the under-21s against Charlton Athletic the previous week. Pedersen said the celebrations afterwards reflected how much the return meant inside the camp: "We were all very pleased for Dish. After the game, we had a little celebration for him and the young guys who played today."
What's next
Wednesday's Jersey Mike's Trophy group continues early next month with a trip to face Sunderland's under-21s. For the first team, Tuesday offered a welcome distraction from the bigger picture: Wednesday go into the international break second in League One after successive goalless home draws with Wigan Athletic and Stockport County, with the emergence of Akpobi and Bernard's return to matchday involvement, giving Pedersen options he did not have a fortnight ago.
Image credit: SWFC