By BBC and ESPN
THE Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry City at Hillsborough today (Oct. 4) was briefly delayed after a small group of home fans ran on to the pitch to protest against the club’s Thai owner Dejpon Chansiri.
In the 10th minute Owls supporters joined together to chant against the Thai businessman, days after wages were not paid on time for the fifth time in seven months.
A few fans entered the field of play to protest in the centre circle and referee Adam Herczeg took both teams over to the sideline.
The match was held up for about five minutes while stewards removed the fans from the pitch.
Chansiri’s ownership of the club has come under heavy criticism of late. Owls fans and local MPs are continuing to demand Thai businessman Dejpon sell the cash-strapped Championship club.
Various embargoes have been placed on the club for tax debts, late payments to players and staff, while money owed to rival clubs has left them in a perilous financial position.
The incident appeared to unsettle the hosts as they fell to a 5-0 defeat.
BBC Radio Sheffield reporter Rob Staton said: “A few boos from the support but mostly cheers, they’re chanting for Chansiri to leave the club.
“It was a peaceful protest, the Coventry supporters were also cheering it.”
The Owls, who have only won once in the league this season, lost 5-0 in the 12:30 BST kick-off.
The free-scoring away side, who won 4-0 at Millwall in midweek, took less than three minutes to take the lead when Bobby Thomas’ header from a corner was converted on the line. Brandon Thomas-Asante was credited with it though the final touch may have come off Owls defender Max Lowe.
Thomas-Asante then scored with a neat finish across the keeper before USA international Haji Wright tapped in a third just before the break, as the officials failed to spot he was in an offside position.
Substitutes Ellis Simms and Kaine Kesler-Hayden linked up at the end of an incisive attack for the former to make it 4-0 and the classy Tatsuhiro Sakamoto added another with a powerful finish.
Wednesday remain second bottom and are without a home win this season, while unbeaten Coventry climb above Middlesbrough.
Quality Cov outclass Owls
Despite their lowly league position and the huge number of issues facing Henrik Pedersen’s side off the field, the team had generally been competitive in their eight previous league matches.
Only a last-minute equaliser stopped them from claiming all three points at Birmingham on Tuesday, a result which would have seen them climb out of the relegation zone.
However, they were simply no match for Frank Lampard’s impressive Sky Blues.
There will be some question marks over his first but there was no doubting Thomas-Asante’s second after the protest-enforced hiatus. The former West Brom forward showed good feet to dance across the area before finishing sharply across Ethan Horvath after Dominic Iorfa had been caught in possession 20 yards from his own goal.
Wright’s ninth goal of the season should not have stood, with the striker clearly offside from Thomas’ knockdown from a free-kick but 3-0 at the break did not flatter the visitors.
With the game over as a contest Lampard made all five of his substitutions with more than 15 minutes of the game left to play.
Simms netted after coming off the bench for the second time this week and then Tatsuhiro, who had played a role in the fourth, got his first of the season and Coventry’s 27th from seven league games after the home side failed to clear a set piece.
Wednesday’s best chance to get on the scoresheet came with the last action of the match but George Brown headed over Barry Bannan’s inviting cross from close range.
The 5-0 result, which could have been more but for fine saves by Horvath from Ephron Mason-Clark and Sakamoto, matches Coventry’s biggest ever win over Sheffield Wednesday.
What’s next?
Wednesday boss Pedersen said that 11 first team players had not received their pay for September in his news conference on Friday.
Players, coaches and staff members will hope this is rectified in the coming days as the club limps on.
They face a trip to Charlton after the international break, while Coventry will welcome Blackburn looking to continue their superb start to the season.
CAPTIONS:
Top: A small number of Sheffield Wednesday fans came onto the pitch in the 10th minute. Photo – Rex Features and published by BBC
First insert: Sheffield Wednesday fans holding up a protest banner. Photo – Getty Images and published by BBC
Second insert: Brandon Thomas-Asante has scored five goals for Coventry this season. Photo – Rex Features and published by BBC
Front Page: A handful of match-goers stopped Saturday’s game when they ran onto the pitch. Photo – Nigel French/PA Images via Getty Images and published by ESPN
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