Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday fans share special moment as Régis Le Bris makes interesting Samed call

Sunderland faced Sheffield Wednesday away from home on Friday evening with plenty of talking points emerging before, during and after the game at Hillsborough in the Championship.

Sunderland won 2-1 with goals from striker Eliezer Mayenda either side of half-time propelling Régis Le Bris’ side to a first win in three games after defeats to Leeds United and Hull City recently.

Here, though, we take you through the moments you may have missed before, during and after the game between Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland at Hillsborough in the Championship on Friday night:

Luke O’Nien reaches milestone 300th appearance

Sunderland’s game against Sheffield Wednesday marked club captain Luke O’Nien’s 300th in all competitions since his arrival seven seasons ago.

The former Wycombe Wanderers man became the first player to reach the milestone since Micky Gray. Kevin Ball, Gary Bennett and Gordon Armstrong were the last before that. Only 30 players have reached the 300 mark since the club was formed in 1879.

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The 300 club includes legends such as Raich Carter, Bobby Gurney and Bobby Kerr alongside Jimmy Montgomery, with O’Nien now joining an exclusive club during the 2024-25 campaign in what is a rarely seen but no less tremendous achievement in the modern game.

Sunderland player missing from squad as Le Bris makes five changes

Régis Le Bris made five changes to his Sunderland side for Friday night's visit to Sheffield Wednesday.

Le Bris was forced into two changes after Enzo Le Fée and Dan Ballard were ruled out through injury. Romaine Mundle and Chris Mepham returned to the starting XI in their place, with Mundle starting his first competitive game since suffering a hamstring injury in November.

However, Le Bris opted to rotate significantly beyond that, with Alan Browne returning to the starting XI, having not played since suffering a significant injury in November. Leo Hjelde also replaced Dennis Cirkin at left back, while Eliezer Mayenda came into the side up front. Wilson Isidor was named on the bench but came on in the second half. Ian Poveda was once again absent from the squad, with young striker Trey Ogunsuyi among the subs.

Ex-Sunderland transfer target named on bench

Former Sunderland transfer target Ike Ugbo was named on Sheffield Wednesday’s bench by manager Danny Rohl for the game between the two sides.

The striker was heavily linked with a move to the North East last summer before eventually joining the Owls, having played for the club on loan season from French club Troyes. Heading into the game, the 26-year-old former Chelsea man hadn’t scored a single league goal during the 2024-25 season.

Ugbo came on in the second half after an injury to Paterson, but key Owls man and Newcastle United fan Michael Smith missed the clash altogether due to illness, alongside Yan Valery and Stuart Armstrong.

Sheffield Wednesday fans fume at referee Will Finnie

Sheffield Wednesday fans were left fuming in the first half when referee Will Finnie opted against awarding the home side a penalty after Leo Hjelde looked to handle the ball in the box with the scores level.

Not long after, Mayenda put Sunderland ahead after Hjelde’s long ball forward. The replays clearly showed the ball striking the Spanish striker’s arm before the teenager put the ball past Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper James Beadle. That meant Owls fans were doubly annoyed at the half-time interval with the officiating team booed off the pitch.

The Owls equalised after half-time before Mayenda bagged the winner. It was the Spanish striker’s second brace against Sheffield Wednesday this season. Of the six goals the 19-year-old has scored this season, four of them have been against Rohl’s team. Mayenda is now on 11 goal contributions for the current campaign.

Sunderland fans’ lovely gesture to Sheffield Wednesday supporters

Sunderland fans and Sheffield Wednesday supporters came together at Hillsborough to pay tribute to Jaxon Knowles.

The Sheffield Wednesday fan sadly passed away in hospital, surrounded by his family, last week. His mum, Sammy Knowles, said her little boy was “my absolute hero”. In the fourth minute of the game, a minute’s applause was observed in Jaxon’s memory, with a photo of the football-mad Knowles shown on screen at Hillsbrough.

Both Black Cats and Owls fans clapped after the referee stopped the game in the fourth minute, with both sets of players and staff members joining in. It was a special moment between two football clubs. Sheffield Wednesday fans famously raised a significant amount of money for the Bradley Lowery Foundation last season. Our thoughts are with his family. RIP, Jaxon Knowles.

Le Bris makes a potentially telling in-game selection call

Interestingly, with the game heading towards its conclusion and Sunderland leading 2-1, Le Bris opted to turn to young midfielder Harrison Jones to see the game out.

The Sunderland under-21 captain came on with around four minutes left to play and was given the nod over summer signing Salis Abdul Samed, with the Black Cats needing to see the game out as the clock ticked down at Hillsborough in the Championship. The appearance marked Jones’ first minutes in the Championship having previously featured in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup under Le Bris.

Samed has struggled for any sort of momentum at Sunderland, having joined the club with a significant injury, though Le Bris opting for Jones may have been more to do with the midfield needing energy and legs during the final portion of the game. However, it will be interesting to see if Jones has now moved ahead of Samed in the pecking order in future games.