Kieran Lee’s 20th minute goal, the result of a mix-up between Bartosz Bialkowski and Christophe Berra, has given Sheffield Wednesday a 1-0 lead over the Blues at half-time. Town have been pushing for an equaliser with Daryl Murphy hitting the post shortly before the break.
Boss Mick McCarthy made five changes to his starting line-up with Freddie Sears handed his full debut up front alongside Daryl Murphy with David McGoldrick missing out due to the thigh injury he suffered at Rotherham.
Jonny Parr came in at left-back for Tyrone Mings, who dropped to the bench, while Teddy Bishop, Stephen Hunt and Darren Ambrose replaced Kevin Bru, Paul Anderson and Jay Tabb, who were also amongst the subs. Keeper Dean Gerken returned to the bench having been out with a hip problem.
The Blues started in a 4-4-2 formation with Ambrose, who was making his third full league debut for the Blues, on the right and Hunt on the left.
Neither keeper was tested in the first 14 minutes but with Town having had most of the ball. On 12 Sam Hutchinson was lucky to avoid a yellow card for a foul on Bishop.
Seconds later, the Blues were similarly fortunate that referee Stuart Attwell pulled play back for a foul when Lewis McGugan had dispossessed Cole Skuse and had sent Stevie May away towards goal.
Championship top scorer Murphy came close to his 19th of the season right on the quarter hour when he brushed off Owls’ skipper Tom Lees before hitting a shot across goal from the left of the box but just wide.
But despite the Blues having had the better of the early stages, Wednesday went in front in the 20th minute via their first serious chance of the game.
Lees sent in a freekick from halfway on the right and May knocked the ball down towards Will Keane. Berra sought to shield the ball back to Bialkowski but the two of them seemed unsure of the other’s intentions and, as they collided, the Polish keeper could only push the ball away to the edge of the box from where Kieran Lee gratefully smashed into the roof of the net.
The Blues looked to get straight back on terms, Murphy making a strong run down the middle before hitting a shot which Wednesday keeper Keiren Westwood batted away.
As the half hour the Blues were almost handed an opportunity when Claude Dielna missed Parr’s cross from the left but the ball wouldn’t fall for Sears.
Moments later, Hutchinson dispossessed Bishop on halfway before bringing the ball forward and finding May, who shot across the face of Bialkowski’s goal from the right when he ought to have done better. At the other end, Smith headed an Ambrose corner from the right powerfully wide.
The Blues were beginning to put the pressure on but Wednesday were looking dangerous on the counter-attack. On 33 May broke and fed Keane to his left but Berra dispossessed the on-loan Manchester United man
Town went close to getting back on terms in the 33rd minute when Bishop fed Ambrose on the right and the midfielder sent over a low first time ball which Sears just couldn’t keep down. Soon after, Hutchinson was booked for a foul on the ex-Colchester man.
The Blues continued to press, keeping the ball far better than they have in recent weeks. On 37 Ambrose headed Parr’s left-wing cross to Westwood, then two minutes later Skuse hit a well-struck shot through to the Irish keeper.
Close to the end of the scheduled 45 minutes Hunt felt he had been shoved over by Marnick Vermijl has he shielded a bouncing ball from the on-loan Manchester United full-back inside the area but referee Attwell wasn’t interested.
In injury time the Blues went agonisingly close to getting back on terms when Hunt crossed from the left and Murphy’s header beat Westwood but stuck the post before being cleared by a Wednesday defender.
Referee Attwell was booed off by the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand at the break, although in truth it would have been a harsh penalty had it been given.
On the overall balance of the half the Blues didn’t deserve to be behind, despite having conceded another poor goal.
Having gone behind Town played as well as they have in a while with Sears close to his first goal at Portman Road and then Murphy even nearer to adding to his 18 goals so far this season. Wednesday, however, remained a danger when breaking.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Parr, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Bishop, S Hunt, Ambrose, Sears, Murphy. Subs: Gerken, Mings, Anderson, N Hunt, Bru, Tabb, Clarke.
Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood, Vermijl, Mattock, Lees (c), Dielna, Hutchinson, Lee, McGugan, Helan, May, Keane. Subs: Kirkland, Buxton, Palmer, Nuhiu, Maghoma, Bus, Melo. Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire).