Team Lineups

Owls go close to third win for Bullen

We could count ourselves unfortunate not to take all three points after a dominant New Year’s Day performance that ended in a 1-1 home draw with Birmingham and so stretched caretaker manager Lee Bullen’s unbeaten run to four games.

The point sees us remain in 16th place on 32 points, with eight of them coming from Bullen’s time in charge since he took over in his temporary role just before Christmas.

Steven Fletcher fired us in front with an excellent turn and shot on 18 minutes and the visitors rarely troubled Keiren Westwood in the opening half, with Wednesday firmly in the driving seat.

However, sloppy defending allowed Che Adams to level for Birmingham just after the restart, the ex-Blade slipping Michael Hector’s attentions to shoot past Westwood.

To their credit, Wednesday were soon back in control and Adam Reach and Fletcher both tested Lee Camp in the Birmingham goal before there were penalty claims for handball by a Blues defender in an almighty goalmouth scramble, referee Andy Woolmer eventually awarding a free kick to the visitors.

Birmingham went close late on when Craig Gardner’s free kick clipped the outside of a post but, fittingly, we had the last say and almost clinched what would have been a deserved three points in injury time.

Substitute Atdhe Nuhiu saw his shot – and the rebound – saved by the outstanding Camp and Reach fired agonisingly wide from the loose ball, with Nuhiu just failing to make further contact at the far post.

Westwood, Palmer, Lees, Hector, Fox, Boyd (Winnall 87), Bannan, Hutchinson, Reach, Matias, Fletcher (Nuhiu 87). Att: 29,462.

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