Wednesday continue to trudge on for a first win of the season after taking a point from a 1-1 draw at fellow Championship strugglers Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.
Jermaine Beckford’s clinical finish had the hosts 1-0 up but an Alex Baptiste own goal got the Owls on level terms. Wednesday carved out the better chances to win the game but Jose Semedo was given a straight red card and Bolton finished the stronger with the extra man, forcing Chris Kirkland into a couple of top-drawer saves late on.
The draw Wednesday’s seventh of the season and their sixth by the same 1-1 scoreline, leaving them in the Championship relegation and without a win to their name so far.
Owls boss Dave Jones went with Matty Fryatt up front and Giles Coke playing just off him, with Michail Antonio and Jeremy Helan the wideman and Semedo and Stephen McPhail in the middle. Chris Kirkland and Reda Johnson were both passed fit to play.
Dougie Freedman’s men came into the game on the back of their first win of the season at Birmingham City but it was Wednesday who carved out the first chances in front of goal after a sluggish opening.
Coke and Fryatt were linking well and the former struck one shot wide before the pair linked up to give Fryatt a golden opportunity to fire the visitors in front only for Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan to make a fine save.
It came somewhat against the run of play when Wanderers opened the scoring 15 minutes in. Neil Danns provided Beckford with a half-chance and the former Leeds United striker produced a clinical finish to score from the hosts’ first chance of the match.
Freedman’s side couldn’t build on their opening, however, and Wednesday settled back into their groove before finding an equaliser, albeit in somewhat fortuitous circumstances.
Helan sweeped a cross into a dangerous area inside the box and Baptiste won the header but sent it straight past his own goalkeeper and into the back of the net to level things up.
Chances dried up for the rest of the first half but Wednesday were encouraged by having plenty of the ball, although without carving out any further good chances in front of goal.
The Owls were much brighter in the second half and Helan came inches away from firing Wednesday into the lead only for Bogdan and the post to deny him five minutes after the restart.
The pressure was mounting on the home goal somewhat as Antonio flashed a volley just wide before substitute Jermaine Johnson was handed a good chance when played through on goal but he sliced his effort wide.
Wanderers still posed a threat, with former Owls loanee Chris Eagles wasting a good opportunity but it was Wednesday who looked the more likely to get in front.
They thought they’d done just that when Johnson powered a header into the back of the net from a corner to spark celebrations amongst travelling fans and players but the referee chalked the effort off for offside.
And, just as Wednesday were sniffing a goal, the game changed with the referee handing a straight red to Semedo for a challenge on Jay Spearing.
Bolton looked to take advantage of the extra man and carved out a couple of great chances to win the game only to see Owls stopper Kirkland in tip-top form to deny them and help Wednesday take a point back over the Pennines for their efforts.
Bolton: Bogdan, McNaughton, Mills, Ream, Baptiste, Feeney (Lee 58), Medo, Spearing, Eagles (Hall 69), Danns (Ngog 78), Beckford.
Wednesday: Kirkland, Buxton, Zayatte, Roger Johnson, Reda Johnson, McPhail, Coke (Palmer 90), Helan, Semedo, Antonio, Fryatt (Jermaine Johnson 65).
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