Sheffield Wednesday vs Wrexham player ratings: Issa Kabore shines as Owls star is rotten 4/10
Wrexham boosted their playoff hopes on Saturday with a solid 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.
After little happened in the first half, Phil Parkinson’s side finally managed to find a bit of quality to break through the Owls’ stubborn backline.
Issa Kabore’s perfect cross found Sam Smith inside the six-yard box, who bundled the ball into the back of the net just before the hour mark.
From here, both teams had chances to get a goal, with Wednesday even having a shot cleared off the line. However, Wrexham held on to pick up a precious three points to increase their promotion chances.
Victory in Yorkshire 🙌
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) January 31, 2026
🔴⚪ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/EKkCHQcgFj
Issa Kabore – Man of the Match
After a drab first half, Wrexham were in desperate need of some quality.
The visitors were seemingly incapable of breaking down Sheffield Wednesday, in what would no doubt have been two points dropped if they failed to win the match.
However, just before the hour mark, Kabore showed why he is in the Man City academy, with a pinpoint cross.
The wing-back had been on fine form all game, and really stepped up when the Welsh side needed someone to help change the game.
| Issa Kabore’s stats vs Sheffield Wednesday | |
| Minutes | 90 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Shots | 1 |
| Dribbles completed | 2 |
| Passing accuracy | 88% |
On top of his goal, Fotmob, on 31 January, also explains that Kabore completed two dribbles in the match, as well as completed 88 per cent of his passes.
Therefore, Kabore is deservedly the man of the match for his performance at Hillsborough.
Jamal Lowe once again offers little for Sheffield Wednesday
For Sheffield Wednesday, there has been little to shout about all season.
Defeats have become a regular thing, with fans begging to see a victory.
Yet, this was more than possible on Saturday, with the Owls well within the match for long periods.
However, while many were having a positive impact, Jamal Lowe struggled to do anything up top.
The attacker continuously gave the ball away and missed a great chance to score when his shot was cleared off the line.
This has become a common trend with Lowe, with the forward struggling to provide goal contributions throughout the season.
Simply put, this has to change, or his position in the starting XI may come under question.
Sheffield Wednesday player ratings vs Wrexham
- Murphy Cooper – 7
- Liam Palmer – 6
- Gabriel Otegbayo – 6
- Liam Cooper – 7
- Yan Valery – 5
- Jaden Heskey – 5
- Svante Ingelsson – 6
- Reece Johnson – 5
- Jamal Lowe – 4
- Bailey Cadamarteri – 5
- Jerry Yates – 6
Substitutes
- Charlie McNeill – n/a
- Jarvis Thornton – n/a
- Bruno Fernandes – n/a
Wrexham player ratings vs Sheffield Wednesday
- Arthur Okonkwo – 7
- Max Cleworth – 7
- Dominic Hyam – 7
- Callum Doyle – 7
- Issa Kabore – 9
- Matty James – 8
- Ben Sheaf – 7
- Liberato Cacace – 7
- Josh Windass – 7
- Nathan Broadhead – 7
- Sam Smith – 8
Substitutes
- Lewis O’Brien – n/a
- Oliver Rathbone – n/a
- Kieffer Moore – n/a
- George Dobson – n/a