Wednesday’s inevitable relegation was confirmed in a 2-1 defeat away to Sheff U today.
We knew that anything but a victory would send us down to division one and that was all but confirmed inside the first 19 minutes when we conceded twice.
A heavy defeat looked on the cards at that stage before the Owls staged a spirited second-half revival which saw us posing most of the problems for the home side.
With less than two minutes played Joel Ndala, under pressure in his own half, sent a wayward crossfield pass straight to Gus Hamer, he fed Patrick Bamford in the box and the striker slotted home past our debutant keeper Seny Dieng.
Sheff U threatened further goals, with Callum O’Hare hitting the woodwork, before Charlie McNeill failed to track Harrison Burrows down our right and the defender beat Dieng at his near post to make it 2-0.
However, we survived without further damage from the home side before half time and, after beginning the second period in more aggressive fashion, we saw the hosts reduced to 10 men on 49 minutes when Kalvin Phillips was rightly red-carded for a dangerous and high follow-through challenge on Svante Ingelsson.
Four minutes later we were back in the game when McNeill cut in from the right and fired an excellent low shot into the bottom corner of Michael Cooper’s net.
Suddenly, the whole pattern of play changed from the first half, Wednesday dominating possession and, with more belief, we might have got an equaliser.
However, we posed few further direct threats for Cooper despite our dominance and then, with 90 minutes on the clock we were reduced to 10 men when Gabriel Otegbayo fouled Tyrese Campbell as he broke clear and the Owls defender received a second yellow card.
The home side then went close to a third goal in added time, Dieng making fine saves from Campbell and Sydie Peck to keep the score to 2-1.
Dieng, Palmer, Otegbayo, L Cooper (Ugbo 79), Adaramola (Fusire 87), Ingelsson, McNeill (McGhee 90), Heskey, Ndala, J Lowe, Yates (Moses 87). Unused subs: Stretch, Emery, Grainger, Johnson, Thornton.
