Henrik Pedersen was quite rightly full of praise for his Wednesday squad’s all-round performance as we held league leaders Coventry to a goalless draw at the CBS Arena today.
The point, our second in successive games, takes the Owls to minus four points for the season and with four matches remaining we could yet get into a positive points total before the end of the campaign.
With the home side on the brink of a return to the Premiership, they dominated possession but managed just four shots on goal and, while Wednesday’s eight efforts were off target, we gave a battling display all over the pitch and thoroughly deserved a share of the points.
Pedersen said: “I’m really proud to see how the boys, again, go on the pitch with a big belief, with big discipline and how we defended today, it was amazing.
“But not only defending, we also created chances after the high press, we also created chances in the offensive transition. I think it was a strong performance. We came here to take something. We want to have points, we want to win football games.
Wednesday almost took the lead on seven minutes when home keeper Carl Rushworth was nearly caught out by Jerry Yates as he made a hash of a clearance, Nathaniel Chalobah put him under further pressure but Rushworth recovered to save his blushes.
We then continued our promising start soon afterwards with Chalobah’s close-range effort deflected for a corner by Frank Onyeka.
Coventry’s only real threat of the half came 20 on minutes when Svante Ingelsson cleared off the line as Liam Kitching’s header looked like creeping into the far corner of the net.
The home side had been distinctly sluggish in the first 45 minutes but any thoughts of an improved second half display from them were pushed to one side when Wednesday twice missed good chances to take the lead in the 15 minutes immediately after the break.
First, Jaden Heskey’s threatening run ended with him sending in a low cross but Jerry Yates shot over from six yards. Then Tayo Adaramola created space with his pace down the left and pulled the ball back to Ingelsson on the edge of the box, only for the midfielder’s effort to easily clear the bar.
It was midway through the second half before Pierce Charles was seriously tested, the keeper saving Ephron Mason-Clark’s low shot from the edge of the box.
Not to be outdone, we hit back with Jamal Lowe firing high and wide from a good position inside the box and Adaramola finished weakly after another threatening run.
The home side staged a late rally of sorts but their disappointing afternoon was complete when Josh Eccles sent a header just off target and Wednesday were left to quite rightly celebrate a well-earned draw in front of the travelling 2000-plus fans.
Charles, Fusire, Palmer, Otegbayo, M Lowe, Adaramola (McGhee 90), Chalobah (Nakamba 69) Heskey, Ingelsson (Kobacki 61), J Lowe, Yates. Unused subs: Stretch, Maltby, McNeill, Thornton, Moses, Grainger.
