It’s Was A Rollercoaster Of Emotion For Owls Fans

Having gone along to Hillsborough for the game against Bristol City, I feel it is necessary to reflect on the emotions I (and many other fans) went through in one of the most memorable nights I`ve ever had as a Wednesday fan.

The night started out with expectation after seeing Wednesday come from a goal down against Wigan to win 2-1. The performance against Wigan was definitely one to be proud of, as the players were able to show their resiliency and their ability to take a game by the scruff of its neck. I was therefore ever hopeful that Wednesday would put on a convincing display against Bristol City.

In the opening stages of the match I was pretty content with the way that Wednesday were playing, barely giving Bristol City an inch and controlling possession well. We just couldn`t really open the game up fully to create major chances for Gary Hooper and Steven Fletcher.

Then shock and disappointment set in, as Tammy Abraham nodded home a very tidy header to give Bristol City an unexpected lead. You could definitely see why this youngster is earning a very good reputation for himself. His movement to escape his marker was veteran-like, and his finish was clinical as it comes.
Things didn`t improve, as disappointment quickly turned into dismay when Abraham struck again after poor defending from Tom Lees. There is no doubt that without Glenn Loovens, Tom Lees is a shadow of his normally excellent self. Westwood managed to save the initial shot, but the rebound fell to the opportunistic Abraham who was more than happy to accept the gift of a second first half goal.

At half time I had mixed emotions, I was obviously gutted that we were undeservedly losing the game 0-2. However, I still had belief that Carlos Carvalhal and his players could turn the game around if we struck early enough in the second half. When Fernando Forestieri is on the field, I always believe that anything is possible.

My belief soon turned into relief has Fletcher nodded home a Forestieri corner, to really fire up the Wednesday crowd. In all the excitement I think that many fans failed to realise that the goal was Fletcher`s second goal in as many games. The goal for Scotland against Malta really seems to have fired him into form, and I have been very impressed with his heading prowess.

The relief was then wiped away by heartbreak as Sam Hutchinson gave away a penalty, and got sent off in the process. As Lee Tomlin stepped up to try and restore Bristol City`s two goal lead, I found myself looking up to the heavens begging that somehow the penalty wasn`t converted. Sure enough, Tomlin blasted the penalty against Westwood`s right-hand post and Wednesday cleared the ball away. The drama in this sequence wasn`t over there, as Hooper was brought down by Gary O`Neil. This forced the referee to award him his second yellow card. Suddenly, I felt the tide shifting for Wednesday.

Following this was a full on, unrelenting Wednesday onslaught as The Owls pushed for the equaliser. Ball after ball went into the box, as my hope started to grow and grow. Then, out of nowhere, hope was turned into delight as Barry Bannan rifled home an absolute wonder strike into the far corner of the Bristol City goal. You could tell that Wednesday weren`t happy with just a point, and they again started to push and push.

Time was quickly running out, and it seemed like Wednesday would just fall short of getting the winner. I found myself bashing the chair in front in frustration, as Wednesday struggled to get the finishing touches on the performance. I was begging Ross Wallace to whip the ball into the box, but instead he found Kieran Lee. Lee proceeded to drop his shoulder and fire home with his left foot to turn frustration into sheer joy for me, as pandemonium ensued around the three main stands of Hillsborough. The ultimate comeback was complete.

All in all, it proved to be one of the most emotional nights of my life, as the team I love had taken me on a rollercoaster of emotion that I will never ever forget.