It was a display typical of several this season as Wednesday went down 2-1 at Swansea today.
Not for the first time during the campaign, we missed great chances when well on top and then paid the price as the opposition upped their game to take the points.
Defeat, coupled with Reading’s win at Luton yesterday and QPR’s victory at Middlesbrough today, sees us drop back to 15th on 52 points, nine clear of the relegation zone but with an EFL points deduction still a possibility.
Wednesday’s six efforts, compared to Swansea’s one, underlined our first-half superiority at the Liberty Stadium, but we missed excellent openings to underline that domination.
Jacob Murphy fired high over the bar when unmarked at the far post on 13 minutes and the same player also shot straight at home keeper Freddie Woodman from another opening minutes later.
Alessio Da Cruz saw his goalbound shot blocked by Marc Guehi on 34 minutes and then missed a gilt-edged chance on the stroke of half time, heading Barry Bannan’s pinpoint cross over from six yards.
You always felt that play-off chasing Swansea would be better after the interval … and that soon proved to be the case.
It took them just seven minutes to take the lead, sloppy defending allowing the ball to find its way through to Rhian Brewster and he swivelled to hammer home from close range
Worse followed 13 minutes later when Adam Reach blocked Connor Roberts in the box and Andre Ayew stepped up to make it 2-0 from the penalty spot.
Brewster missed a great chance to make it three but shot wide after 82 minutes and then, almost immediately at the other end, sub Atdhe Nuhiu dragged his effort across goal and wide.
Nuhiu did make his mark in added time, heading powerfully home from Murphy’s cross, but we were again left to reflect on those missed opportunities and what might have been.
Wildsmith, Iorfa, Börner, Palmer, Murphy, Bannan, Reach (Harris 67), Luongo (Nuhiu 70), Lee (Hunt 46), Da Cruz (Rhodes 79), Wickham. Unused subs. Dawson, Odubajo, Hughes, Shaw, Pelupessy.