The calls for new strikers to be signed during the upcoming summer transfer window will grow louder. With Wednesday stuttering to another disappointing result in 2015 at Hillsborough, this time fellow Yorkshire side Huddersfield Town striking late to draw a valuable point. The result leaves Huddersfield without a win in their last seven games and 18th in the table, six places and nine points behind Wednesday who have only recorded one win in eight at home in 2015.
The first half saw chances few and far between as both teams refused to take any risks. Wednesday full-back Marnick Vermijl sent in an early low cross which evaded everyone in the box, and the Wednesday striker Caolan Lavery fired in a fierce angled shot which went over. Lewis McGugan tried a shot from the edge of the area that went wide. The away side to had some chances with Joel Lynch firing in a shot on the turn which forced a near-post save from Westwood. Then just before the break, the visitors carved out another chance when, David Edgar got in a shot which was cleared off the line by Vermijl. This ensured the teams where 0 – 0 at halftime.
After the restart, Atdhe Nuhiu had the best chance and he looked certain to score, but he didn’t. Set up by Kieran Lee, Nuhiu rounded Town keeper Alex Smithies and rolled the ball towards the goal but Lynch raced back and cleared off the line. Quite why Nuhiu didn’t strike the ball hard into the net will have confused the entire stadium.
Full back Joe Mattock went off injured and after lengthy treatment, he returned to the field with his head bandaged to carry on. Wednesday started to push on and Lavery had a chance but with the close attention of Reece James put his shot wide. Finally Wednesday boss Stuart Gray made changes to grab the points from Huddersfield with a double substitution with strike duo Stevie May and Sergiu Bus replacing Lee and Nuhiu. Similarly Town boss Chris Powell replaced Nahki Wells for journeyman striker Ishmael Miller who was soon involved. The big centre forward made a promising run into the area before having a shot, which was blocked, when he could have passed to a team-mate to open the scoring.
Returning Wednesday substitute Bus had a chance to make a quick impact as Miller had a few minutes earlier. When he had time inside the area, but his low shot lacked any real power to beat Town keeper Smithies who saved easily. Miller made another good run into the area and had an unsuccessful appeal for a penalty when he went down under a challenge. Fans from both sides could be forgiven for thinking that the two sides again would play out another 0 – 0 draw, as they had earlier in the season at Huddersfield.
Wednesday’ last substitute Chris Maguire’s saw his free-kick opportunity comfortably saved by Smithies with little problem. The games sprung to life soon after with Romanian forward Bus opening his account for Wednesday. Following good work from Vermijl the returning frontman followed up to turn the ball home from close range after his initial effort was kept out. As Wednesday fans celebrated and settled down to see out out the remaining few mìnutes. But with only a minute to go in normal time, Miller scored the equaliser after finding himself in space inside the area after Zayatte missed an important header to clear the danger.
The point-a-piece leaves both sides tucked in mid table and set to renew the rivalry and meet again next season. On bank holiday Monday Stuart Gray takes his team into Norfolk to visit high flying Norwich City
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