Wednesday’s woeful home run continued in a hugely disappointing 1-0 defeat to Oxford United at Hillsborough this afternoon.
We looked poor in the first half and even worse in the second 45 minutes against opposition who were mediocre at best, as our search for a home win for the first time since New Year’s Day goes on.
Home fans carried out their planned protest aimed at chairman Dejphon Chansiri on the 10th minute, reflecting the number of years he has been at the Hillsborough helm, while in footballing terms the first half was short on entertainment, Wednesday failing to show the intensity, creativity and energy needed to get the lift of taking the lead and building on it.
The visitors had the first opening, ex-Owl Will Vaulks bringing a diving save out of Pierce Charles from the edge of the box before Djeidi Gassama tested Jamie Cumming in the Oxford goal with an angled effort.
Cameron Brannagan was just off target with a fierce 20-yarder before the Owls hit back with two more efforts of our own … both from Anthony Musaba.
Just past the half-hour mark he steered a clipped cross from Josh Windass over the bar from inside the six-yard box when he should have done better and was inches wide soon afterwards with a 25-yarder.
The last opening of a distinctly low-key first 45 minutes came for Oxford when Charles pushed away a fierce effort from Tyler Goodhram and Brannagan hit the rebound into the ground and over the top.
If there was hope of a much-needed second half improvement for the Wednesday fans then they were to be sadly disappointed with hardly an effort of note from us.
The best, and just about only chance, fell to the unmarked Svante Ingelsson eight yards out on 62 minutes but he fired wildly into the Kop.
It was Oxford who began to dominate in terms of pressure as the half wore on, particularly from set-pieces when they targeted young Pierce Charles in goal.
The keeper tipped over from Ben Nelson on the six-yard box on 75 minutes but the visitors grabbed the all-important goal soon afterwards when Vaulks’ long throw into the box was headed backwards by the Wednesday defence and Sam Long was there at the far post to head home.
We never looked like salvaging at least a point in the closing minutes, signalling a fifth successive home defeat which leaves us in 14th place on 53 points, with four games to play.
P Charles, Valery (Valentin 65), Ihiekwe, Johnson, S Charles, Armstrong (Ingelsson 55), Gassama (Cissoko 84), Musaba (McNeill 55), Windass, Paterson (Ugbo 84). Unused subs: Beadle, Iorfa, Hatsuse, Chalobah. Attendance: 25,646.