Wednesday lack that clinical edge as both teams settle for a point on New Year’s Day.
Steven Fletcher got the ball rolling as he popped up to put his side into the lead in the first-half.
Wednesday started the second period slow which let Che Adams sneak past the Owls’ back-line and coolly stroke his effort past the keeper. The home side dominated the rest of the game but just couldn’t put the ball into the back of the net.
Adam Reach opened the chances in the game. Barry Bannan angled a tremendous ball over the top of the defence for the winger who subsequently failed to match the cross and hit his attempt over the bar.
The first major opportunity for the host’s came after a quarter into the first-half. Barry Bannan’s in-swinging corner was somehow turned agonisingly wide by Hector who was also under pressure from former Wednesday loanee Gary Gardner.
Wednesday’s good start paid off as the Owls took the lead just before the twentieth minute mark.
Bannan’s deep free-kick was headed by Tom Lees into the path of Steven Fletcher who instinctively hooked his shot towards goal, on the swivel, and the ball trickled past an out-stretched Lee Camp.
The Blues slowly crept into the game but failed to get a foot hold in the first-half as Wednesday refused to let them. Maxime Collin volleyed poorly wide from the edge of the box after Reach headed away the corner.
Similarly, Maikel Kieftenbeld thumped another long-ranged effort, from a clearance, high and wide of Westwood’s goal.
Wednesday were high in confidence. Barry Bannan’s lofted ball was collected into the path of Matias but as the winger shot, Camp rushed off his line and deflected the attempt behind. The resulting corner was glanced wide by Chelsea loanee, Michael Hector.
Boyd impressed today on only his second start in four months. He won a 50/50 challenge with Michael Morrison in the centre of the park. Adam Reach latched onto the loose ball and rifled an effort from thirty yards over the bar however, the referee deemed Boyd’s slide on the defender as a foul.
The referee again blew for a foul when a floated ball towards the back post from Matias was looped over Camp by Fletcher but cleared off the line by Dean. The foul was for Fletcher pushing Harding when he jumped.
On the stroke of half-time, Birmingham City won a free-kick on the edge of the box after Maghoma was barged over by Palmer. The Blues tried something different to the norm as Maghoma tapped the ball to Jota who rolled the ball for Lukas Jutkiewicz who fizzed his shot wide of the upright.
The first period came to a close with Wednesday dominating Birmingham City who were just one place outside the playoffs.
Wednesday’s good work in the first half was instantly undone as Gary Monk’s men equalised just after half-time.
Lukas Jutkiewicz flicked on Morrison’s pump upfield into the path of Che Adams who was the man to finish the move as he got on the correct side of Hector and volleyed past Westwood.
On the hour, Camp made a crucial save to keep his employers in the game. After Barry Bannan dispossessed Jota, George Boyd dinked the ball into the middle where Adam Reach chested it into his stride before seeing his shot magnificently pushed away from the target by the City number one.
Moments later, Barry Bannan’s ball into the box caused chaos as a mass scramble between Wednesday trying to hammer the ball into the back of the net and City bombarding men behind every shot. The scramble ended with Matias’ shot being parried by Camp before Boyd squared into the middle for Hector who’s shot was blocked desperately by the chest of Harlee Dean.
Camp was called into action moments later as he was on hand to pat Fletcher’s header, from a Boyd pinpoint cross, wide of the target before Reach skied the rebound on the angle.
Barry Bannan hit a diagonal ball towards the left channel where Fletcher diverted his run and half-volleyed a low drive towards goal but, yet again, Lee Camp was his team’s saviour as he scrambled down low to deflect the effort wide.
George Boyd’s deflected cross then landed kindly for Sam Hutchinson where his first-time strike was almost a perfect set up for Matias, but the keeper rushed out and claimed the ball.
As we entered the last ten minutes, Morgan Fox listened the the shouts from the crowd and struck an audacious effort, from thirty-five yards, that flew miserably wide of the upright.
Craig Gardner went close to putting his side ahead from a set-piece after Morgan Fox tripped Adams on the edge. Gardner whipped his shot over the wall, but the ball kissed the post before recoiling into the advertisement boards.
The last chance of the game should have been the deciding factor in the contest.
Hutchinson’s long distanced cross was superbly chested down by Nuhiu and his initial effort was spilt by Camp back to the Kosovan international whose secondary attempt was saved by the feet of the keeper. The ball came out to Adam Reach who dragged his shot disappointingly wide of the far post.
The final whistle went with both sides forced to share the point.
This point means Sheffield Wednesday are unbeaten in the four games of Lee Bullen’s spell as caretaker manager.
Attendance: 29,462
Goals: Fletcher (18’); Adams (48’)
Sheffield Wednesday: Keiren Westwood, Liam Palmer, Tom Lees, Michael Hector, Morgan Fox, George Boyd (Sam Winnall), Barry Bannan, Sam Hutchinson, Adam Reach, Marco Matias, Steven Fletcher (Atdhe Nuhiu)
Unused Subs: Cameron Dawson, Ash Baker, Matt Penney, Daniel Pudil, Joey Pelupessy
Birmingham City: Lee Camp, Wes Harding, Maxime Colin, Michael Morrison, Harlee Dean, Gary Gardner (Craig Gardner), Jota, Maikel Kieftenbeld, Jacques Maghoma (Connor Mahoney), Lukas Jutkiewicz, Che Adams
Unused Subs: Connah Trueman, Josh Dacres-Cogley, Charlie Lakin, Dan Scarr, Beryly Lubala
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