Another bad start cost Notts County after they were knocked out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy by Sheffield Wednesday.

On paper Notts couldn't have started the competition with a tougher fixture than the Owls. Alan Irvine's men went into the game on the back of a 5-0 win over Hartlepool United, which had seen them climb to the top of the League 1 table.

And they definitely opened like a team with plenty of confidence by taking the lead inside two minutes. Gary Teale arrowed a diagonal ball from deep towards the far post for Chris Sedgwick to nod back into the path of James O'Connor, who then smashed home from inside the six-yard box. Notts went in search of an equaliser almost immediately through Smith, whose grounded effort from 25 yards skidded narrowly wide. The in form striker then provided Davies with an opportunity to strike from distance but he cleared the bar. Former Magpies full-back Dan Jones looked an early threat and he rounded off a surging run by striking wide, perhaps deterred by Rob Burch in goal, who had rushed off his line sharply. The stopper was called into action again moments after with a low, grasping save, shutting out a Marcus Tudgay's shot that had seemed destined for the bottom corner. However, Wednesday's early dominance paid off once more on 14 minutes as O'Connor struck again. Jon Otsemobor's deflected centre from the right allowed the midfielder to hook the ball into the bottom left corner with his first touch. County pulled one back on 33 minutes after a jinking run by Jon Harley earned a free kick on the corner of the 18 yard box. Ben Davies stepped up to curl around the wall and just inside the reaching Nicky Weaver's left-hand post. There certainly looked to be more goals on the way as Burch was forced to clutch well, and Tudgay lashed high and wide from the edge of the area. At the other end, Mike Edwards powered a header inches over from an out swinging Davies corner.

Typically, Notts started the second half brightly, though the opening stages brought little in terms of goalmouth action, other than Davies' optimistic chip from corner of the box. In an attempt to liven things up, Craig Short introduced Craig Westcarr on the right wing as his side went in search of a leveller. And Westcarr almost created that equaliser with a delivery from the left flank. Jake Jervis made his presence felt at the near post and Weaver hesitantly punched away from Davies, who looked to capitalise at the back post. The home team slowly got back on top and Teale's trickery down the left earned Wednesday a free kick deep in the Notts half. Jones crossed with pace but Tudgay's thumping header was denied by the crossbar. Suddenly the match had been sparked into life and Notts almost tied the scores as a result of another dangerous delivery from Davies. Swung in with speed from the left, the ball evaded everyone and drifted agonisingly off target. The next goal looked like it might settle the game, though it was anyone's guess as to which way it would go. John Thompson prodded over from a corner and Burch was required to smother well from Darren Potter's hopeful hit. Westcarr tested Weaver with a stern strike aimed towards the bottom corner and Davies fired into the side netting as the game entered the dying stages. Krystian Pearce was even brought on in attack with the hope of snatching a late goal to send the fixture to a penalty shoot-out. O'Connor should have sealed his hat-trick and put the game to bed in stoppage time. He wrestled the ball from Harley on the half-way line and rode a challenge before bending wide, despite being clean through on goal.

It didn't matter in the end, though, as the game finished 2-1. It was a determined performance by the Magpies but they still couldn't record their first win in the competition since 2001.

Sheffield Wednesday: Weaver, Purse, Tudgay, Jones, Potter, Beevers, O'Connor, Teale, Sedgwick (Miller 38), Morrison (Mellor 68), Otsemobor

Notts County: Burch, Edwards, Thompson, Smith (Pearce 81), Ravenhill, Davies, Chilvers, Hubbins (Westcarr 54), Jervis (Hawley 67), Spicer, Hartley