Two goals in two first half minutes from Town’s Paul Anderson and Sheffield Wednesday’s Michail Antonio saw the Blues and Owls draw 1-1 at Hillsborough. Both sides also hit the woodwork, Cole Skuse for Town in the first half and sub Jermaine Johnson for Wednesday late on.
Boss Mick McCarthy named an unchanged Town side for fourth successive game, despite surrendering a three-goal lead at Derby in midweek.
The Blues had the better of the opening spell but were unable to serious threaten until the 10th minute when Daryl Murphy, like his strike partner David McGoldrick a former Wednesday loanee, struck a shot which was blocked. The rebound fell to Cole Skuse but his strike deflected harmlessly through to Chris Kirkland in the Owls goal.
The home side went close to going in front a minute later when Jeremy Helan got away down the left and crossed low. Matty Fryatt failed to get a significant touch, but the ball fell to Atdhe Nuhiu behind him, however Dean Gerken was quickly off his line to block.
From the Owls corner Town went straight up the other end and scored. Ryan Tunnicliffe’s clearance found McGoldrick acres of space on the left. After taking the ball down, the Blues striker crossed perfectly for the unmarked Paul Anderson, who slammed in his second goal of the season.
Wednesday manager Dave Jones will have been tearing his hair out at the playground way in which his side had conceded.
But the Blues’ lead would last only two minutes. Helan crossed from the left, Nuhiu nodded back across goal while in acres of space and the similarly unmarked Michail Antonio powerfully headed home the equaliser with the game still only 14 minutes old.
Championship Player of the Month McGoldrick shot over from distance, then Murphy failed to spot Anderson in space inside the area.
On 27 McGoldrick almost played in Murphy with a clever pass on the turn, but Kirkland was off his line quickly to clear. Wednesday, however, had had the better of the second quarter of an hour, with Helan giving Chambers a busy afternoon down the Blues right, but without seriously threatening Gerken’s goal.
Town were within a whisker from going back in front in the 37th minute. Skuse lost Fryatt as Aaron Cresswell found him with a throw-in from the left. The former Bristol City man unleashed a 25-yard strike which crashed against the inside of Kirkland’s right post before flying across goal towards the corner flag.
Two minutes later, Cresswell was rather further away with a shot from a tight angle on the left from even further out, but it was the Blues who were having more of the ball and looking the more dangerous of the two sides.
Moments before the break, keeper Gerken prevented the Blues from going behind with a save from virtually point blank from Fryatt. The on-loan Hull City man was put through on goal behind the Town backline after the ball had flicked off the back of Christophe Berra’s head and seemed certain to score but Gerken spread himself and seemed to block his shot with his face.
The level scoreline at the break was a fair reflection of a relatively even half in which both sides had had their spells on top and chances.
Mick McCarthy will be unhappy to have conceded such a poor goal so soon after the Blues had gone in front, while his Owls opposite number David Jones is likely to have been launching similar enquiries regarding the Sunday morning nature of Town’s opener.
Murphy headed wide from a Cresswell corner as Town started the second half on the front foot. Wednesday’s first chance of the half was headed wide by Reda Johnson from an Antonio cross. Not long after the Owls’ skipper made way for one-time Blues trialist Jermaine Johnson.
As the game moved towards the hour mark Kirkland was forced into a rather panicky punch as Anderson chased down a long ball down the middle, then Murphy scuffed a strike so wide it went out for a throw.
A minute later, the Irishman went rather closer after skipping away from a defender on the left but Kirkland was equal to his shot.
Anderson wasn’t far away from his second goal of the game in the 66th minute when McGoldrick’s clever flick fed Murphy on the right, breaking into the area. The Irishman played the ball back to Anderson, whose low shot was well saved by Kirkland down to his left.
From the corner, McGoldrick headed over with Murphy behind him perhaps better placed to get more control over his attempt at goal.
McGoldrick’s 71st minute shot was too high with the Blues continuing to look the more threatening of the two teams, although it took a superb challenge from Tunnicliffe to dispossess Jermaine Johnson as he broke forward in the 73rd minute.
On 76 the Jamaican international almost put his side ahead with a superb 35-yard strike which beat Gerken but cannoned off the crossbar. Three minutes later, Smith was booked for a foul on the sub, who had made quite an impression since coming on.
Murphy made way for Frank Nouble in the 85th minute with the game looking likely to drift towards a draw. As it moved into its final scheduled minute Jermaine Johnson was booked for dissent.
In injury time Tyrone Mings took over from McGoldrick with the Blues settling for their second away point of the week.
A draw was probably a fair result with both teams having had chances in the second half, although none as good as the one Fryatt spurned just before the break, Jermaine Johnson going closest with his shot against the woodwork.
Town rarely played the fluent football that they did against Brighton last week or in the first half against Derby in a battling performance which was more reminiscent of last season’s away displays than earlier games this season.
The Blues’ current run stretches to one defeat in seven, while Wednesday are still without a victory this season, a fact reflected by the boos which rang around Hillsborough at the final whistle.
While Mick McCarthy will have been hugely disappointed not to have won at Derby on Tuesday having been three goals up at the break, the Blues boss won’t be too unhappy that his side has been unbeaten in back to back away games.
Sheffield Wednesday: Kirkland, Buxton, Reda Johnson (c) (J Johnson 57), Roger Johnson, Llera, McPhail, Coke (Semedo 43), Antonio, Helan, Fryatt (Palmer 75), Nuhiu. Unused: Dawson, Zayatte, McCabe.
Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Anderson (Tabb 79), Hyam, Skuse, Tunnicliffe, Murphy (Nouble 85), McGoldrick (Mings 90). Unused: Loach, Hewitt, Edwards, Wordsworth. Referee: Andy Haines (Tyne and Wear). Att: 19,519.