Wednesday were left to reflect on missed chances and conceding a 90th minute equaliser from another set piece as we allowed two precious play-off points to slip from our grasp in a 1-1 draw at Bolton this afternoon.
The late goal from the home side leaves us still in fifth but now locked on 73 points with Sunderland in sixth and seventh-placed Wycombe, both us and Sunderland with five games left and Wycombe having played 42 matches.
Oxford are back in eighth on 69 points from 42 played while, above us, Plymouth sit in fourth on 78 points, also from 42 games.
Wigan (86 points from 40 games) lead the way, MK Dons (83 from 42) are in second with Rotherham (80 from 40) in third.
We began promisingly at Bolton, Barry Bannan seeing a 20-yarder tipped away for a corner by James Trafford after four minutes and then just wide soon afterwards from the edge of the box.
Then, with 20 minutes gone, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing missed our best chance of the half, the striker miscuing his shot from 12 yards after being set up by Jack Hunt.
We continued to threaten, Trafford saving Mendez-Laing’s header and Lee Gregory failing to connect properly with the loose ball.
However, Dadi Boedvarsson could and should have put Bolton ahead as half time approached but headed wide from six yards as Wednesday again struggled in defending a set piece.
Then Mendez-Laing’s shot from inside the box was blocked by Will Aimson in our last attack of the half.
Bolton began the second half with their best spell of the game, Dion Charles going close at the far post and Aimson heading over when well placed.
However, we began to dominate again and took the lead midway through the half.
Marvin Johnson’s shot was deflected for a corner, Harlee Dean’s header from Bannan’s kick hit the post but Jordan Storey was on hand to steer the ball home from almost on the line for his first goal for Wednesday, in front of our 5000-plus travelling support.
Lee Gregory was next to go close with a deflected effort, Sam Hutchinson heading over from the resulting corner.
Then, with 14 minutes left, Bannan missed a great opportunity to make it 2-0. Johnson’s fierce shot came back off the keeper, it fell to the skipper but he fired just wide from the rebound.
Sub Callum Paterson headed over from a Bannan corner and the home side had rarely threatened again after that early second-half spell … until the 90th minute that is.
They forced a corner on the left, Wednesday failed to clear the high cross to the far post and when it fell into the path of Williams he drove the ball across goal and into the corner of the net.
Peacock-Farrell, Hunt, Storey, Dean, Hutchinson, Johnson, Luongo, Byers (Berahino 61), Bannan, Mendez-Laing (Paterson 61). Unused subs: Wildsmith, Palmer, Iorfa, Dele-Bashiru, Shodipo.
Att: 19,164 (Wednesday 5,134).