Paul Anderson put the Blues ahead in the 12th minute but Sheffield Wednesday’s Michail Antonio equalised two minutes later to leave the scoreline 1-1 at the break.

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 be launching similar enquiries regarding the Sunday morning nature of Town’s opener.

Sheffield Wednesday: Kirkland, Buxton, Reda Johnson (c), Roger Johnson, Llera, McPhail, Coke (Semedo 43), Antonio, Helan, Fryatt, Nuhiu. Unused: Dawson, Zayatte, McCabe, J Johnson, Palmer.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Anderson, Hyam, Skuse, Tunnicliffe, Murphy, McGoldrick. Unused: Loach, Hewitt, Mings, Edwards, Tabb, Wordsworth, Nouble. Referee: Andy Haines (Tyne and Wear). Att:

Photo: Action Images

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