Wednesday’s play-off hopes were dealt another blow in a 2-1 defeat by Sunderland at Hillsborough tonight.
Michael Smith, Yan Valery and Stuart Armstrong joined our pre-match absentees list and on an evening when little went right for us, we then lost Max Lowe and Callum Paterson to injuries during the game and referee Will Finnie failed to give two crucial decisions our way at either end of the pitch.
Wednesday began the game in encouraging fashion and Sunderland survived an early scare when defender Leo Hjelde looked to have handled in the box from a Svante Ingelsson long throw but nothing was given.
We should have then taken the lead on 17 minutes when excellent build-up play finished with Pol Valentin crossing low into the box but Josh Windass fired over from eight yards and Callum Paterson was next to threaten when he headed over from another Valentin centre.
Sunderland had forced a handful of corners but caused few problems before they took the lead against the run of play and in controversial circumstances on 35 minutes.
Max Lowe misjudged a high ball, Eliezer Mayenda then looked to have controlled it with his arm but the referee again failed to see the contact and Mayenda shot past James Beadle, despite the efforts of Lowe to get in a recovery block.
We started the second half aggressively and were back level within two minutes of the restart, Ingelsson crossing to the near post and Paterson heading home in front of the Kop.
Soon afterwards, Ingelsson went close when he fired in a powerful angled drive that keeper Anthony Patterson tipped over the bar.
However, Wednesday’s early second-half momentum was dealt a blow when goalscorer Paterson suffered what looked to be a foot injury and had to leave the field after lengthy treatment.
We struggled to regain that attacking aggression and it was the visitors who took the lead again on 71 minutes when Mayenda lost his marker and headed home at the far post.
Beadle saved well from Romaine Mundle’s free kick ten minutes later and, despite late substitutions from Danny Rohl and one or two threats in added time, we failed to get a second equaliser, leaving us also still searching for that first home win at S6 since New Year’s Day.
Beadle, Valentin, Ihiekwe, M Lowe (Palmer 42), Hatsuse (Johnson 85), S Charles, Bannan, Ingelsson (Cissoko 85), Gassama, Paterson (Ugbo 58), Windass (J Lowe 85). Unused subs: P Charles, Iorfa, Chalobah, Kobacki. Attendance: 27,954.