Familiarity adds to Sheffield Wednesday's frustration in 1-1 draw with Gillingham
"Surprising" was certainly not a word you would use about the 1-1 draw at Hillsborough.
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Hide AdThe roar that went up as Florian Kamberi tapped in the rebound after Barry Bannan's shot was saved was one of belief. There were at least 14 minutes to go and if referee John Busby added on all the time the visitors had wasted, much more besides, to get a winner.
But it was asking a lot of a team that had not really looked like scoring until then to suddenly produce two goals, and Busby only added on six extra minutes for them to do so.
It was another game unbeaten for the Owls, another game frustrated for their supporters, some of who booed at the end, though much of their opprobrium went Busby's way. It was not that their team were terrible, they were just not good enough. It has been the story of their season.
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Hide Ad"I Can Move Any Mountain" was about as misleading a tune as the stadium DJ could play as soon as the final whistle blew.
When Sheffield Wednesday conceded a free-kick near the halfway line in the 22nd minute, their manager Darren Moore knew what was coming. He positioned himself well outside his technical area, crouching behind Bailey Akehurst to see how his team would defend his set-piece delivery. The familiar answer was not very well.
John Akinde won the header from the deep straight ball and nodded it down for one-time Owls academy striker Vadaine Oliver to put in.
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Hide AdGillingham had not really been in the game until then but now they had something to cling onto, and reason to run down the clock. And of course they did - well, you would, even without Evans as your manager.
The Owls had been dictating until then and would do afterwards but they lacked the killer punch they needed.
Callum Paterson, playing centre-forward in the absence of Lee Gregory, nearly scored a gorgeous goal for them, flicking on the cross after Fisayo Dele-Bashiru got outside Theo Corbeanu. But with the exception of the lively Canadian on the right, there was precious little else by way of threat from the home side. Kamberi poked an early Corbeanu cross straight at Jamie Cumming, left wing-back Olamide Shodipo shot off target and a Barry Bannan header was bundled behind.
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Hide AdOther than that, there were a lot of moves breaking down for the want of a decent final pass. When Kamberi became the latest culprit, in the 34th minute, the crowd groaned their understandable frustration.
Corbeanu at least offered some hope, his driven shot after a couple of stepovers saved low down, as was his 40th-minute effort after beating Danny Lloyd and Akehurst.
Kamberi also forced a save when he let a Bannan pass come across him.
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Hide AdFor a long time the second half was Corbeanu v Gillingham but unfortunately the youngster could not cross and finish the same moves.
Defender Ryan Jackson was more alert to his 51st-minute cross than anyone in blue and white, Kamberi headed the next one wide, Paterson had his head in his hands after missing the target from a pull-back. When Corbeanu went it alone, Cumming saved twice.
So it was a pleasant shock when the goal came, but no turning point.
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Hide AdA switch seemed to flick in Marvin Johnson who began piling forward from left-sided centre-back but neither Cumming nor and Wednesday player could get a touch on its curling cross, which was cleared off the line. Corbeanu floated a shot wide.
Really, though, for all that they bossed the ball, there was not enough from this Wednesday side. They are just not quite where they need to be.
Sheffield Wednesday: Wildsmith; Palmer, Dunkley, Johnson; Corbeanu, Dele-Bashiru (Adeniran 90), Bannan, Wing (Berahino 61), Shodipo (Sow 83); Paterson, Kamberi.
Unused substitutes: Brown, Luongo, Brennan, Render.
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Hide AdGillingham: Cumming; Jackson, Tucker, Ehmer, Akehurst (Adshead 71); O'Keefe, Phillips, Dempsey (Reeves 74), Lloyd; Akinde, Oliver (Sithole 57).
Unused substitutes: Chapman, Lintott.
Referee: J Busby (Oxfordshire).