Bournemouth 0-0 Wednesday

Wednesday stopped the rot with a well-earned 0-0 stalemate at promotion-chasing Bournemouth on Tuesday night.

The Owls showed a vast improvement in their recent performances and edged the game with the better chances, but were also let off the hook as Michael Symes missed a second-half penalty.

The game looked a mis-match before, with Bournemouth sitting second and having the best home record in the league, while Wednesday arrived at Dean Court in woeful form, especially on their travels.

But a stubborn Wednesday gave boss Gary Megson plenty to build on as they kept their first clean sheet in npower League One since November.

Megson made six changes to the side that fell to a 3-0 defeat in the FA Cup at Birmingham City on Saturday.

Richard Hinds and Mark Beevers, both introduced as substitutes at St Andrews, replaced Mark Reynolds and Michael Morrison, who were excluded from the squad altogether, in the starting eleven.

Gary Madine returned to the Owls attack as the sole frontman after he was cup-tied at the weekend, while Chris Sedgwick, Liam Palmer and Tommy Miller were all give starting roles as the visitors lined-up with a 4-5-1 approach.

Miller also took the captain’s armband for Wednesday on his return to the first team.

It was clear from the line-up that Wednesday went to Dean Court looking for an improved defence and looking for a more stubborn and solid performance to that against Birmingham.

And they started well, with Isaiah Osbourne having the first real chance on goal but he saw his shot saved by Shwan Jalal, the former Owls goalkeeper now between the sticks at Dean Court.

Wednesday were keeping Bournemouth, so successful at home so far this season, relatively quiet at the other end before carving out another good chance, this time Reda Johnson seeing a stabbed effort deflected wide for a corner.

The Owls were more than holding their own as the first half approached its halfway stage and the hosts were being kept quiet.

But the chances were few and very far between until half-time, with Bournemouth getting more into the game but unable to break through a stubborn and much-improved Wednesday defence.

Half-Time: Bournemouth 1-1 Wednesday

The Owls came flying out of the traps at the start of the second half and Palmer almost broke the deadlock seconds after the restart when he went surging forward before seeing his effort well saved by Jalal.

Wednesday continued their good, solid start to the second period but they were given a big let-off ten minutes after the restart.

Reda Johnson, praised by his boss going into the came, fouled Michael Symes inside the box and the referee wasted no time in pointing to the spot.

It was Symes who picked himself up to take the penalty but drove it wide of Nicky Weaver’s goal to give Wednesday a get-out-of-jail-free card and get the score goalless.

Wednesday hit back and Miller drilled a low shot towards goal and Jalal got a good hand to divert the shot away from danger.

The game opened up more as the second half wore on and it was the Cherries’ turn to carve out the next chance when a well-worked corner kick saw Shaun Cooper hit an effort which came back off the inside of the post and the Owls cleared the danger.

The Owls were far from hanging on though and the chances swung to the other end when Sedgwick neatly headed the ball beyind his marker before unleashing an effort which Jalal did to save.

Wednesday brought a bit of experience and fresh legs into the midfield with James O’Connor coming on for Palmer, who impressed again in the blue and white stripes.

The Owls’ good performance was perhaps summed up by the fact that Cherries stopper Jalal took the man of the match award for the hosts.

Full-Time: Bournemouth 0-0 Wednesday