Wednesday could count themselves unfortunate not to take all three points after a 2-2 draw with joint leaders Wycombe at a freezing Hillsborough this afternoon.
We created 18 chances, eight of them on goal, while Wycombe had just two efforts on target – both resulting in goals – and we might well have had all three points on the day.
The draw sees us slip back to seventh position, one place and one point adrift of the play-off spots, but we are also only five points behind the leading trio of Rotherham, Wigan and Wycombe. Certainly, if we continue to display the attacking performances shown today and in midweek, coupled with the much-improved level of intensity, then there is no reason why we should not be in the promotion mix in the coming weeks and months.
Wednesday began strongly, Florian Kamberi forcing an early save out of Wycombe keeper David Stockdale, but it was the visitors who took the lead against the run of play on 23 minutes when Anis Mehmeti’s shot from inside the box took a sharp deflection off Callum Paterson and ended up in the net.
Jack Hunt’s excellent low cross just evaded Lee Gregory soon afterwards as we looked to strike back almost immediately and then came a near 10-minute stoppage while medical teams attended to an incident in the North Stand.
When play restarted, Gregory went so close to an equaliser again, his far post header from Mide Shodipo’s excellent cross just kept out by the diving Stockdale.
Sam Vokes missed a good chance in a rare Wycombe attack but we were deservedly level just before the break, Gregory returning the compliment by teeing up Shodipo in front of goal and he drove the ball into the roof of the net from eight yards out.
Five minutes into the second half we were in front, Josh Windass sending a low drive past Stockdale from the edge of the box with the keeper allowing the ball to go under his body.
Buoyed by the goal, Wednesday pushed forward in search of a third goal but it was the visitors who struck again on 65 minutes.
Paterson gave away a needless free kick on the edge of the box and Jordan Obita stepped up to curl an angled effort past Bailey Peacock-Farrell, the Wednesday keeper looking to have taken a slight step the wrong way as the ball left Obita’s foot.
The goal seemed to knock Wednesday out of their stride for a few minutes but, with sub Nathaniel Mendez-Laing causing problems for the Wycombe defence, we launched a late rally in search of a winner.
Chey Dunkley hooked the ball over the bar from a Bannan free kick, sub Theo Corbeanu tested Stockdale from 18 yards soon afterwards and then the same player shot well over the bar in our last attack of the afternoon.
Peacock-Farrell, Hunt (Mendez-Laing 72), Brennan, Dunkley, Paterson, Bannan, Luongo, Shodipo (Corbeanu 72), Windass (Dele-Bashiru 81), Kamberi, Gregory. Unused subs: Wildsmith, Brown, Wing, Berahino. Att: 20,761.