Wednesday’s hopes of reaching the League One play-off final ended in added time of the semi-final second leg against Sunderland at Hillsborough.
Patrick Roberts’ close-range strike after 93 minutes drew the game level at 1-1 and took the aggregate score to 2-1 to the Wearsiders to clinch their place in the Wembley final against Wycombe.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Wednesday had got back on level terms in the tie on 74 minutes when Lee Gregory turned home Marvin Johnson’s excellent low cross, the latter having been sent through by Barry Bannan’s classic pass.
We had rarely looked like levelling matters before that strike and it lifted an already passionate S6 crowd to another level as we searched for a crucial second goal.
At that stage, we were very much in the ascendancy but failed failed to turn it into another goal and, just when extra time was beckoning, we got caught out down the left and Roberts turned home Jack Clarke’s cross to seal their aggregate win.
Wednesday had found it difficult to break down the Sunderland defence in the first half, an overhead kick from George Byers bringing a rare save out of keeper Anthony Patterson.
Sunderland had posed few problems themselves and angered the Hillsborough crowd with their timewasting tactics almost from the first whistle.
It was a similar story of few clearcut chances after half time before Gregory sent the Wednesday fans crazy with the leveller 15 minutes from time.
However, Robers ended hopes of our immediate return to the Championship early into 10 added minutes and so leaving the Owls to contemplate at least another season in the third tier.
Peacock-Farrell, Hunt (Mendez-Laing 71), Storey, Dean, Hutchinson (Palmer 70), Johnson, Byers (Berahino 95), Luongo, Bannan, Windass (Paterson 78) Gregory. Unused subs: Wildsmith, Dunkley, Kamberi.