Sheffield Wednesday chief Danny Rohl just cannot take anymore as Stoke City belt out the Delilah's - final word on Championship relegation six-pointer

Following a third home draw in a row - it’s not just losses that kill you at this time of year - the pain was etched all over the face of Sheffield Wednesday’s young manager in his post-match musings.

‘It’s hard to take’, he said on more than one occasion; try four or five times.

Whereas the Owls’ admirable midweek recovery from two goals down to take a point against a play-off side in Norwich City at Hillsborough felt like a bit of a win in the circumstances, the same could not be said about Saturday’s game against Stoke City, which felt like a loss in truth.

It was another day when Wednesday were well placed to move out of the drop zone for the first time since August 12, but again fluffed their chance. It’s becoming a maddening and debilitating habit.

Much like with their Good Friday fixture against Swansea City, which also ended 1-1, one big moment went against the hosts and it was enough.

Wednesday had been structured and orderly, only for the mask to fatally slip on 76 minutes. The same minute which saw Swansea equalise at S6 just over a fortnight earlier coincidentally.

Tyreece Campbell’s clever pass sent substitute Luke Cundle - whose run had been left untracked - clear down the left channel.

Liam Palmer raced back and made up ground and tried to put in a last-ditch saving challenge, but it was all in vain as Cundle tucked the ball past James Beadle, to the delight - and relief - of 4,000 travelling Stoke fans with a precious point maintaining their side’s three-point cushion over Wednesday.

It was certainly a better point for Stoke after their beleaguered performance and result at Swansea three days earlier.

Palmer, a player who has seen it, done it and experienced most things that wearing the Wednesday jersey has to offer and bleeds blue and white had looked like being the hero eight minutes before Stoke’s leveller.

Barry Bannan’s high cross to the far post was headed down by Michael Ihiekwe with Palmer steaming into the box before showing fine technique to drill a clinical drive into the net - and most of the 32,000-plus crowd celebrated with gusto.

Wednesday do make things hard for themselves, but this was surely it against an unconvincing Stoke side who had been kept at bay comfortably enough. Alas, not..

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While the goal action was sandwiched into an eight-minute spell, it really shouldn’t have been.

After the strong second half against Norwich, Wednesday flew out on the traps in an intense, purposeful opening.

There was tempo, incision, vigour and conviction and there should have been a couple of goals. Unfortunately, there were not and therein lies a story.

Picked out by a pinpoint Josh Windass cross, the net was waiting to bulge for Ike Ugbo from close in. He found Stoke keeper Daniel Iversen instead.

From the resulting corner, Ihiekwe’s goalbound header was cleared, close to his own goalline, by Campbell.

The unlucky came via a fine strike from Michael Smith clip the bar after he did superbly to latch onto a high hooked pass from Palmer and hit it first time.

Other half-chances came and went in a first half when Stoke looked susceptible and ripe for the taking.

A smart interval substitution from Steven Schumacher hinted at a narrative shift. Bae Junho came on and gave Wednesday more to think about at least and his swerving shot from distance forced Beadle into his first work of the day when he beat out his effort.

After Palmer’s opener, another sharp change from the Stoke chief, who had moments to savour at Wednesday’s expense during his time at old club Plymouth Argyle, reaped a bigger dividend when Cundle netted just two minutes after entering the fray. Cool hand Luke.

In terms of changes, Schumacher took the honours ahead of Rohl on the day - at a time of the season when a canny substitution can go a long way.

Cundle’s next intervention was also key, but not for the reasons Schumacher would have wanted. He inadvertently got in the way of a goalbound shot from Bae as Stoke scented a late winner.

It almost arrived at the other end in stoppage time, when a key clearing header from Josh Laurent denied Ugbo. Almost, but not quite and not enough from Wednesday, who continue to sweat it out.

Sheffield Wednesday: Beadle; Palmer (Iorfa 90+3), Ihiekwe, Famewo; Valentin (Musaba 90+3), Vaulks, Bannan, Johnson; Windass (Paterson 67); Ugbo (Cadamarteri 90+3), Smith (Gassama 84). Unused substitutes: Dawson, Pedersen, B Diaby, Hendrick.

Stoke City: Iversen; Wilmot, McNally, Rose (Manhoef 74), Thompson; Baker (Cundle 74), Burger (Stevens 49); Leris, Laurent, Haksabanovic (Bae 45); Campbell (Lowe 84). Unused substitutes: Bonham, Vidigal, Ennis, Hoever.

Referee: S Martin (Staffordshire).