Wednesday slumped to a third successive defeat as we went down 2-1 at home to Barnsley this afternoon.
It stretches Tony Pulis’ record as manager to seven games without a win and sees us still rooted to the bottom of the Championship table, four points from safety.
Even the rarity of an early Wednesday goal failed to change our fortunes and it is just as well that those around us are also struggling for points, although that group is diminishing with 20th-placed Rotherham sitting seven points clear of ourselves.
That Wednesday goal came when Josh Windass latched on to Barry Bannan’s through ball on four minutes, clipped the ball past the onrushing keeper Jack Walton on the edge of the box and tapped home from 10 yards.
However, Barnsley soon recovered from the setback and were level in the 14th minute when two defenders failed to clear a near post corner, Joe Wildsmith was taken by surprise and could only parry the ball into the air and Cauley Woodrow reacted ahead of Joost van Aken to head in the equaliser from close range.
The visitors looked the more composed and dangerous side for the rest of the half and they took the lead on 36 minutes, Wednesday allowing Barnsley to pass their way into the box before Dominik Frieser tucked the ball past Wildsmith.
We came out in the second half showing more aggression, Kadeem Harris soon forcing a diving save out of Walton with a fierce cross shot and minutes later Windass tested the keeper from the edge of the box.
Ten minutes into the second half, Barnsley thought they had increased their lead when Conor Chaplin netted from close range but he was flagged offside and they should have had a third 20 minutes from time when the impressive Callum Styles blazed over from six yards.
However, it was Barnsley breathing a sigh of relief seven minutes later when Walton pushed Joey Pelupessy’s cracking 20-yarder onto the crossbar, the ball then rebounding off the keeper and onto the post before being cleared.
There was a late shout for a penalty after a challenge on Jordan Rhodes but, despite an improved second-half display, it was an all-too-familiar tale of another Hillsborough game without a win for Wednesday.
Wildsmith, Odubajo, Dunkley (Palmer 66), Lees, Van Aken (Pelupessy 46), Iorfa (Rhodes 83), Harris, Bannan, Reach, Paterson (Brown 84), Windass. Subs. Dawson, Penney, Dele-Bashiru, Hunt, Kachunga.