Josh Windass’ fifth goal of the season and Alex Mighten’s first in Sheffield Wednesday colours secured a comfortable 2-0 FA Cup first-round triumph over Morecambe at Hillsborough.
Wednesday mustered 21 goal attempts, but only converting two was always going to prove sufficient against a Morecambe team that have failed to score more than once in their last 11 contests.
Owls boss Darren Moore made five changes to the team that started Saturday’s 4-2 home win over Burton, but the hosts quickly found their stride with Jack Hunt’s edge-of-the box strike hitting an upright during the early exchanges.
Windass opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark, drifting in from the left flank and bending a 20-yard effort inside Connor Ripley’s far post.
A David Stockdale mistake almost gifted Morecambe a second-half equaliser but Dominic Iorfa spared the veteran keeper’s blushes when he headed away Kieran Phillips’ goal-bound chip, before on-loan Nottingham Forest attacker Mighten put the tie beyond doubt in the 65th minute.
The 20-year-old winger intercepted Ryan Cooney’s awful back pass and, after bearing down on goal through the left channel, confidently found Ripley’s bottom-left corner from 10 yards.