Wednesday’s faltering automatic promotion challenge took another setback in an awful performance at bottom club Forest Green this afternoon.
A 1-0 defeat means we have taken a draw and two defeats from the last three games and we remain two points behind leaders Plymouth but now with just one game in hand – at Cheltenham on Wednesday evening.
We are level on matches played with third-placed Ipswich, leading them by three points, and are six clear of Barnsley in fourth but they have played one game less.
As well as the result at Forest Green, the manner of Wednesday’s display was even more worrying with the team lacking the creativity, energy or determination to unlock a Forest Green side who were happy to allow us to have the majority of possession and still managed to have the best chances of the game.
We never looked like scoring throughout the match and it means we really need three points at Cheltenham to put us back on the right track for a possible place in the top two at the end of the season.
An early chance for Marvin Johnson, which he fired high and wide after three minutes, set the scene for the afternoon and we almost gifted Forest Green the lead just after the quarter-hour mark.
Cameron Dawson’s poor clearance was played through by Kyle McAllister for Charlie Savage but the keeper redeemed himself by saving with an outstretched foot.
Wednesday just couldn’t find any attacking threat and Forest Green grabbed the only goal of the game 10 minutes before the break.
They were allowed to build a move down the right and when Dom Bernard crossed low to the near post, Jordon Garrick got in front of Liam Palmer to turn the ball home from six yards.
Our only other opening of the half came when Dennis Adeniran volleyed well over the top after some decent build-up play from the Owls.
However, Forest Green went close to making it 2-0 five minutes after the restart, McAllister weaving his way through the Wednesday defence before his shot was deflected for a corner by the diving Dawson, although the referee gave a goal kick.
In a rare threat at the other end, Lee Gregory and Michael Smith saw the ball deflected for a corner as they both challenged in the box before Liam Palmer tested keeper Ross Doohan with a low effort late on.
Will Vaulks shot wide from the edge of the box in added time and it was very much a day to forget for the team and the sellout Wednesday following.
Dawson, Palmer, Iorfa (Hunt 46), Flint, James (Famewo 80), Bakinson (Dele-Bashiru 64), Adeniran (Vaulks 64), Bannan, Johnson, Smith, Gregory. Unused subs: Stockdale, Brown, Shipston.