[22] With a number of midfielder's in the Sheffield Wednesday squad Dave Jones decided to off-load promising youngster Liam Palmer on-loan to League One club Tranmere Rovers for a total of six-months.

Two goals from Chris Maguire and one from Gary Madine and young trialist Patrick Antelmi saw the Owls get off to a good start in preparation to the pre-season tour in Portugal where the squad were due to fly to the next day.

[41] On the day of the last game of the month, against Fulham in the second round of the League Cup, Wednesday confirmed that midfielder David Prutton had joined Scunthorpe United on a three-month loan deal.

Sheffield Wednesday made a club statement on the day in which the Owls offered an apology to the families who lost loved ones in the disaster over twenty-three years ago and welcomed the release of the Hillsborough Independent Panel report.

However, referee Salisbury was centre of attention again when he awarded Huddersfield Town their second penalty of the match for a Rhys McCabe handball, which replays after the game saw the decision to be harsh and more of a ball-to-hand incident.

Second half was similar to the first with quite an even contest, but the Owls did start to push for the equaliser and deservedly got it when a foul in the box was conceded and loanee Ross Barkley scored from the penalty spot.

However, Leicester City slowly started to take control of the match and deservedly took the lead with four-minutes to go until half-time as Danny Drinkwater volleyed home into the far corner, even though there should have been a foul given in favour of Wednesday within the build-up.

The game started lively with the home fans at Hillsborough urging on the team and with just three-minutes gone a corner by Chris Lines met the free-head of Miguel Llera who guided the ball into the net to put the Owls a goal up.

Although, after thirty-five minutes a long ball into the box by Lewis Buxton was not collected by goalkeeper Luke Steele, Chris O'Grady then fired home into the empty net to put the Owls a goal up by half-time.

The Owls remained comfortable at the back though, and scored another in the last minute of stoppage time, when a brilliant burst of pace by loanee Jérémy Hélan saw him sprint past two players and finished from a tight angle to give Sheffield Wednesday a 2–0 win.

Then on 24-minutes, a free-kick by Rhys McCabe was met by Réda Johnson whose effort was poorly saved by Hull City goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović and it rolled into the back of net, giving Wednesday the lead.

The clash started off fairly quietly and evenly, and the first key chance fell to Sheffield Wednesday, as Danny Pugh's corner found Anthony Gardner completely unmarked at the far post, and after a touch from Michail Antonio the ball was cleared off the line.

[93] As the transfer deadline approached in January, it was confirmed that Barcelona B loanee Rodri was to return to his parent club by mutual consent after a largely unsuccessful spell at Sheffield Wednesday and failing to settle or adapt to the Championship.

Into the second half and Leroy Lita came close before great work by Brighton substitute Craig Mackail-Smith, along with a poor clearance, saw a strike by Andrea Orlandi smash the back of the net to make the score 2–1.

Then with fifteen-minutes to go a late challenge by Danny Pugh, which analysts believe the referee to have opted the right punishment of a yellow card, caused disagreements and a scuffle on the touchline between coaching staff of both clubs.

Then, at the other end of the pitch, Jérémy Hélan's troublesome dribbling and pace saw him worry the defence into making a back pass, where Watford goalkeeper Jonathan Bond made a mistake, which led to Michail Antonio giving the Owls the lead, scoring from a tight angle.

After this incident, superb play by Jérémy Hélan once more, saw his volley finely saved by the goalkeeper, and Kieran Lee's effort somehow go wide of the goal, with it looking easier for ball to put into the back of the net.

It remained goalless at half-time and Leicester had the first major opportunity in the second half when a cross in the box saw Harry Kane head over the bar, when the player seemingly should have at least got the header on target.

As the game remained very even with equally as good chances falling to both teams it was with twenty-minutes to go when Lewis Buxton sent in a cross, Michail Antonio flicked on and a volley by loanee Connor Wickham gave Sheffield Wednesday a vital lead.

As the game looked to go in as a goalless draw at the break, a corner by Cardiff was punched out by Kirkland and Don Cowie fired a shot towards goal that could not quite be stopped by David Prutton on the line, as the ball trickled into the net.

After this Sheffield Wednesday had better chances to score as Miguel Llera had two free-kicks saved by the opposition keeper and Leroy Lita had a goal disallowed for offside, while also a shot cleared off line after Anthony Gardner's header could not find the net.

Then soon after at the other end of the pitch, good link up play between Jermaine Johnson and Lewis Buxton saw a cross into the box met by Gary Madine who tapped home a vital Sheffield Wednesday goal to give them the lead.

With fifteen-minutes to go tempers flared as one of the Bristol City defender's dived in the box which made several of the Wednesday players furious, particularly Chris Kirkland, but the referee gave the right decision and the offender was shown a yellow card.

4 points from two games was seen as pretty successful for Sheffield Wednesday, however their other relegation rivals continued to do even better, for example Wolves who were in the relegation-zone at the beginning of Monday, beat Birmingham (who had just beaten fourth-place Crystal Palace 0–4, away on Friday).

As the clocked ticked down and the game went into the second minute of stoppage time Sheffield Wednesday earned a corner that was whipped towards the near post and it was substitute Chris Maguire who volleyed the ball home from a tight angle to send players, staff and the Owls fans 'bananas'.

Into the beginning of the second half and Leeds started to take control of the game and Steve Morison had a brilliant chance when he went through on goal and when he was just about to pull the trigger Réda Johnson came in with a fantastic tackle to keep the Owls in the lead.

Finally the well deserved equaliser did come, and it was good link up play between Chris Maguire and Lewis Buxton down wing that produced a cross that managed to make its way to the back post where Leroy Lita scored an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner.

Miguel Llera then soon had a free-header which he somehow failed to put into the back of the net and then when Jérémy Hélan's pace on the wing produced a cross, Leroy Lita headed home to send Hillsborough wild.

The first chance also fell to Peterborough when Dwight Gayle's out-stretched foot managed to get a shot-off which was only half-saved by Chris Kirkland and the ball continued to roll towards the net, but Miguel Llera was there to clear it away before anybody could get an extra touch to it.

As the half hour make just passed a corner whipped in by Lewis Buxton was poked into the net by Leroy Lita to double the Owls' advantage and to step them closer to the win that would secure survival.