Ten-man Wednesday suffered late-goal agony for the second successive Saturday as we went down 2-1 at Luton this afternoon.
The outcome was decided by two controversial incidents, Luton’s penalty equaliser on 78 minutes which also saw Di’Shon Bernard given a straight red card for handball, and then claims of a handling offence by the home side’s Carlton Morris as he struck home the winner two minutes from time.
The result was harsh on Wednesday as we were by far the better team for at least an hour in a much-improved away performance that warranted at least a point, at the same time rueing not taking other chances created during that period of control.
Defeat leaves us four from bottom with four points from six matches and we will drop into the bottom three if Preston get at least a draw in their home game with Blackburn tomorrow.
We dominated the first half at Luton and might have turned that superiority into a goal on more than one occasion.
Barry Bannan sent an early angled volley across goal and wide and then he became provider, sending in a low cross which Josh Windass connected with at close range but the outstretched leg of keeper Thomas Kaminski prevented a goal.
Olaf Kobacki also went close with a 20-yarder before Luton launched their first real attack on our goal on 37 minutes.
First, Shea Charles did well to head a dangerous ball to safety with Luton waiting to pounce in the box and from the corner James Beadle tipped over a header from former Owls loanee Mark McGuinness.
However, Wednesday threatened again shortly before the break when Kobacki turned a low cross from Windass just wide from eight yards out.
We continued from where we left off at the start of the second half, sub Djeidi Gassama breaking down the left and sending a low cross into the box but, with Windass waiting to pounce, defender Teden Mengi made a last-ditch interception.
However, the deserved goal for the Owls came on 52 minutes as Yan Valery’s looping cross found Bannan running into the penalty box and he volleyed home first time in spectacular fashion from 12 yards.
Danny Rohl then decided to make changes on 63 minutes, withdrawing Bannan and Michael Smith who had both been influential in our dominant display, and replacing them with Svante Ingelsson and Ike Ugbo.
And the game took on a totally different look on 78 minutes when the home side were awarded that penalty, also leading to the dismissal of Bernard.
The defender blocked Mengi’s shot on the line with his chest but when McGuinness headed the rebound goalwards Bernard deflected the ball away, referee Gavin Ward deciding that he had used his arm, rather than his shoulder, to stop the ball crossing the line.
Despite protests, the penalty stood, Bernard was red carded and Morris stepped up to send Beadle the wrong way with the spot kick to give the home side the equaliser.
Worse followed 10 minutes later when Morris was on hand to fire home from close-in, with Wednesday players claiming the ball had hit the striker’s arm before he shot.
We went close to an equaliser in added time when Inglesson brought a diving save out of Kaminski but once again we were left pointless on our travels.
Beadle, Valery, Palmer (Musaba 90+1), Bernard, Famewo, Johnson, S. Charles, Bannan (Inglesson 63), Kobacki (Gassama 46, Ihiekwe 77), Windass, Smith (Ugbo 63). Unused subs: P. Charles, M. Lowe, J. Lowe, Valentin.