Michael Smith’s 89th minute goal - which video evidence shows was offside - saw Sheffield Wednesday come from two goals behind to claim a 2-2 draw with the Blues at Hillsborough. Town looked on their way to their fifth away win in a row from the start of the season after Kayden Jackson’s opener on four and an own goal by ex-Blues loanee Dominic Iorfa in the 71st minute but George Byers hit back on 75, then Smith headed the leveller.
Town boss Kieran McKenna made three changes from the team which beat Bristol Rovers 2-0 on Tuesday with George Edmundson replacing the injured Cameron Burgess on the left of the defence.
Tyreece John-Jules, who was on loan with the Owls in the second half of last season, came in for Freddie Ladapo as the lone central striker and Jackson for Marcus Harness, playing in a wide right role in what was essentially a 4-2-1-3 system with Burns advanced on the other flank. Harness and Ladapo were on the bench.
For Wednesday, ex-Town loan keeper David Stockdale started, as did Iorfa, who was on the right of their back three, while Tyreeq Bakinson, who ended last season on loan with the Blues, was among the subs. Another one-time Town loanee, Mark McGuinness was absent from the squad.
Following a minute’s silence in honour of Her Majesty, The Queen, who died last week, and the national anthem, the Blues, wearing their black and red away kit, were first to seriously threaten in the second minute when a quickly-taken Leif Davis throw on the left sent Jackson away. The striker crossed through Iorfa’s legs to skipper Sam Morsy, whose shot was blocked.
There was a scare for the Blues moments later when a Christian Walton clearance found Barry Bannan on halfway and the midfielder tried a looping effort towards the empty goal, which only just bounced over the bar.
But within a minute Town were in front. Edmundson made a strong run from inside his half before playing an inch-perfect pass into the path of Jackson, who was making an arcing run in from the left. The striker latched on to the ball and confidently slammed it into the corner of the net to Stockdale’s left, the one-time Barnsley man’s second goal of the season.
Wednesday quickly went about looking for an equaliser and on seven Josh Windass shot over from just outside the area.
The Owls were seeing most of the ball with Town not looking entirely comfortable at the back. On 12 Michael Ihiekwe looped a header over from a Bannan free-kick from deep on the left.
The Wednesday pressure continued and in the 17th minute Bannan played in Fisayo Dele-Bashiru on the right and his cross was nodded out for a corner by Wes Burns at the back post.
The frenetic pace of the Owls’ fightback relented after Janoi Donacien suffered a knock and underwent treatment, and also quietened the Hillsborough crowd.
On 19 Chaplin was played in on the right of the box but lofted his effort at goal wide with the flag having already been raised, before home fans started to get on their keeper Stockdale’s back after a couple of wayward clearances into the stands.
After their nervy spell following the goal, Town began to show their usual level of composure and control of the game.
On 25 Bannan was booked for a foul on Lee Evans in the centre circle, then two minutes later, following an Edmundson cross-field pass, Burns cut in from the right and hit a shot which was blocked by Ihiekwe, Town having looked to use the pace of the Welshman down one flank and Jackson down the other with early balls, the goalscorer having left Iorfa standing on a number of occasions.
Town remained in the ascendant and on 35, following a spell of probing around the box, Morsy struck a 25-yard effort well over.
Four minutes later, Wednesday worked their first chance for some while, Byers crossing from the right towards Michael Smith, who nodded well over.
As half-time approached, the Owls began to get back on top and in the 43rd minute, after Town had played themselves into trouble, Liam Palmer sent a low ball across the six-yard box from the right which no Wednesday player was able to reach.
A minute later, Town again lost possession, this time just inside their half, and Luke Woolfenden clipped Windass’s heels in order to stop the break and was booked.
Just prior to the fourth official announcing three additional minutes, the game was briefly held up after objects were thrown on the pitch by Wednesday supporters frustrated that referee Peter Wright had failed to give them a corner.
Boos rang around Hillsborough as Wright blew the half-time whistle, aimed towards the official, who was being spoken to at length by Bannan has they left the field, but also after a frustrating half for their side.
Town will have been delighted with the scoreline as they made their way down the tunnel, having taken their early chance, created superbly by the returning Edmundson and finished clinically by Jackson.
The Blues subsequently found themselves under the cosh for a long spell but with Walton not forced into a save.
The injury break for Donacien’s knock saw the Owls lose their momentum and Town take control, although without seriously looking like scoring a second.
But a couple of errors had allowed Wednesday, who themselves had been sloppy throughout, especially in their own half, to look more dangerous towards the break.
The Blues were the first to threaten following the restart. In the 48th minute, after Wednesday had been caught in possession midway inside their half, Chaplin was played in on the right and cut back to Evans, whose low deflected shot was claimed at the second attempt by Stockdale ahead of John-Jules.
Home fans were cheering every throw-in awarded to their side after an earlier clearly wrong decision had gone against them. A foul given against Byers for a blatant pull on Morsy as Town counter-attacked led to a chant of ‘you’re not fit to referee’.
Davis was yellow-carded for time-wasting in the 52nd minute with the game going through a scruffy period. Two minutes later, the former Leeds man was swapped for Greg Leigh.
The left-back was quickly into the action, heading an Evans free-kick - which he was second-best to win - across the face of goal but with no one there to add the final touch.
Moments later, Jackson was sent away in space down the left and crossed but his ball also failed to find a red and black shirt.
With Town having started to get on top, Wednesday switched Dele-Bashiru for Lee Gregory.
On 61 Jackson played a neat one-two with John-Jules on the left of the area but shot over under pressure from Ihiekwe.
Two minutes later, Leigh was booked for a pull on Palmer on the right touchline, keeper Walton catching the resultant Bannan free-kick confidently.
Home fans were continuing to show their annoyance with referee Wright as Town made two further changes, Ladapo and Harness taking over from Chaplin and John-Jules.
Owls fans one again showed their fury with referee Wright after the official had waved play on after a foul on the Wednesday right with the attack coming to nothing, and from which Town broke and scored their second goal.
Ladapo played in Jackson down the left but his cross was overhit. Harness retrieved it and fed Burns, who sent over a low cross which Iorfa diverted into his own goal at the far post as he sought to stop Jackson grabbing his second of the afternoon.
There was another delay after the goal as referee Wright went over to Walton’s goal to pick up a couple of plastic bottles and other objects which had been thrown towards the Town keeper by frustrated home fans. A PA announcement followed, requesting Owls supporters not to throw objects onto the pitch.
The Blues’ two-goal lead lasted only four minutes. Wednesday won a free-kick wide on the left and Bannan played it short to Marvin Johnson, who sent the ball over and Byers slammed into the roof of the net at the far post.
Morsy was booked for a foul on Windass on halfway a minute later as Wednesday went looking for their second of the afternoon with their fans in full voice.
On 79 Reece James joined the Town skipper in the book for fouling him as Town broke, then two minutes later Richard Keogh replaced Jackson.
Harness was cautioned for a cynical trip on halfway on 82 as the Owls countered, then shortly afterwards Wednesday fans and Windass called for a red for the ex-Pompey man following another foul but referee Wright kept his cards in his pocket.
The game had become stretched and an increasingly end-to-end affair and on 89 Wednesday equalised.
James crossed from the left and Smith, so often a scorer for Rotherham against the Blues in the past, headed home from inside the six-yard box, however, with video evidence indicating he was clearly offside. However, the assistant didn’t raise his flag and the goal stood.
As the fourth official announced six additional minutes, Ladapo cut in from the left and curled a shot into Stockdale’s arms.
At the other end, Wednesday claimed a penalty when sub Alex Mighten went to ground under pressure from Harness but referee Wright wasn’t interested.
The final stages saw the free-kick count increase as Wednesday went looking for a winner and Town looked to hold onto a point while looking for their third on the break. Late on Morsy and Harness both had efforts blocked following a corner before referee Wright ended an entertaining game.
Ultimately, a frustrating afternoon for the Blues who looked to have the game won at 2-0 but allowed the Owls back into the game by conceding the set piece goal so soon after Iorfa’s own goal.
The second Wednesday goal appeared offside but the first had given the Owls - and their vociferous fans - a sniff which they really shouldn’t have had at that stage.
The point, coupled with Portsmouth’s 2-2 draw at home to Plymouth, sees the Blues stay top ahead of Pompey on goal difference.
Town are next in action at home to Arsenal’s U21s in the Papa Johns Trophy on Tuesday with the Blues travelling to face the Pilgrims at Home Park next Sunday.
Sheffield Wednesday: Stockdale, Palmer, Iorfa (Mighten 71), Ihiekwe, James, Johnson, Byers, Bannan, Dele-Bashiru (Gregory 57), Windass, Smith. Unused: Dawson, Vaulks, Bakinson, Wilks, Paterson.
Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Burns, Evans, Morsy (c), Davis (Leigh 54), Chaplin (Harness 68), John-Jules (Ladapo 69), Jackson (Keogh 81). Unused: Hladky, Ball, Ahadme. Referee: Peter Wright (Merseyside). Att: 26,281.