Wednesday had to settle for a point after a largely spluttering display in a 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers at Hillsborough tonight.
It leaves us still in third place, now five points behind second-placed Ipswich and trailing leaders Plymouth by seven, with all three of us having played 16 games.
Wednesday had 22 shots but only six on target and, although Rovers keeper James Belshaw took the man-of-the-match award, the visitors had good chances of their own and will feel they were worth the point.
We began brightly with Josh Windass twice going close in the first 10 minutes, keeper Belshaw saving his header and then pushing a 15-yarder around the post.
In between those efforts, we almost gifted Rovers a goal when Michael Ihiekwe was dispossessed in midfield to leave Aaron Collins through one-on-one but David Stockdale did well to save with an outstretched foot.
Belshaw came to Rovers rescue once more on 35 minutes when James Gibbons almost turned Bannan’s through ball into his own net.
At the other end, Ihiekwe was again caught in possession, Coburn strode through and saw his angled drive pushed away by Stockdale but the referee gave a goal kick. Ihiekwe was also booked for a foul in the process and now misses Saturday’s home game with Burton under the ‘totting up’ procedure.
Then, in added time in the first half, we took the lead when George Byers crossed for Michael Smith to head powerfully home from 12 yards.
We went close to making it 2-0 soon after half time, Belshaw turning away a close-range snapshot from Lee Gregory at the near post.
However, the visitors were back on level terms just before the hour, Coburn breaking free in the box and clipping the ball over Stockdale in smart fashion.
With time running out, Belshaw pulled off an excellent tipover save from Smith’s header and then Windass headed wide at the far post as Wednesday pushed for a late winner.
Undeterred, Rovers continued to battle to hold on for at least a point and they almost grabbed all three when Stockdale denied Collins in the last seconds of seven added minutes.
Darren Moore said afterwards: “We should have won the game but that final touch just eluded us tonight. Their goalie won man of the match and so that tells the story.”
Stockdale, Palmer, Ihiekwe, McGuinness, Brown (Wilks 68), Johnson, Byers, Bannan, Windass, Smith, Gregory (Dele-Bashiru 79). Unused subs: Dawson, Iorfa, Vaulks, Mighten, Paterson.