Wednesday produced a much-improved home display to take a well-deserved point in a 2-2 draw with play-off chasing Hull City at Hillsborough this afternoon.
Our selection problems c0ntinued, with Max Lowe, Charlie McNeill and George Brown all ruled out through injury, and Sean Fusire now with Zimbabwe in the African Cup of Nations tournament.
It meant a start for 19-year-old midfielder Jarvis Thornton in midfield while the bench was made up of keeper Ethan Horvath, alongside eight youngsters.
We began well with some excellent passing movements and took the lead on 21 minutes … with the assist coming from keeper Pierce Charles.
He once again showed his abilities with the ball at his feet, dummying ex-Blade Ollie McBurnie as he went to clear and then firing a 50-yard pass into the path of Svante Ingelsson. The Swede took full advantage to get the ball under control before steering home past keeper Ivor Pandur and so sparking goal celebrations for both creator and scorer at either end of the pitch.
McBurnie almost levelled two minutes later when he sent a close-range header wide, with more than than the hint of a push by Dominic Iorfa.
Liam Cooper then cleared off the line from Mohamed Belloumi just after the half-hour but Hull were level eight minutes before the break when Belloumi cut into the penalty box before finishing low inside Charles’ near post.
Hull came out stronger in the second half but it was Wednesday who struck again in style with 60 minutes on the clock.
Barry Bannan picked up the ball some 25 yards out, then floated a classic trademark ball straight to Bailey Cadamarteri in the box and the striker controlled the pass with his chest before steering it expertly across Pandur and high into the Kop net.
It was just rewards for Cadamarteri, who looked more energised than in recent weeks,
However, once again the lead was short-lived, with Hull snatching a second equaliser five minutes later when Matt Crooks took advantage of a fortunate rebound off Cooper in the penalty area and struck a low shot between Charles and his near upright.
Harry Amass fired over soon afterwards and Iorfa did likewise before Jamal Lowe finished weakly as Wednesday continued to look for a winner.
Hull had their fair share of possession and openings at the other end as the game moved into added time but Wednesday battled until the end to secure a morale-boosting point against the fourth-placed visitors.
Charles, Palmer, Cooper, Iorfa, Otegbayo, Amass, Ingelsson (Onukwuli 78), Thornton (Shipston 78) , Bannan, J Lowe, Cadamarteri. Unused subs: Horvath, Emery, McGhee, Johnson, Alao, Grainger, Moses. Attendance: 27,929.
