Garry Monk left frustrated as Sheffield Wednesday punished for missed chances

That’s what was missing from the Owls’ performance in South Wales – particularly in an opening 45 minutes which they dominated – when they spurned several quality chances to open the scoring.

Jacob Murphy smashed the ball over the crossbar from six yards out, before the on-loan wideman fired at goalkeeper Freddie Woodman

Alessio Da Cruz missed the target with a five-yard header, while his goal-bound shot was blocked by Swans defender Marc Guehi. And this was all before half-time.

So it was almost inevitable that the hosts would improve, and they did, with second-half goals from Rhian Brewster and Andre Ayew – the latter from the penalty spot – condemning Wednesday to back-to-back defeats.

Substitute Atdhe Nuhiu’s stoppage-time goal was almost cruel, simply rubbing salt into the wounds of what might have been after those first-half failings.

“You cannot play that well in the first half and come in without any rewards, we just cannot do that,” fumed Monk.

“You have to be clinical and ruthless to get the rewards for the work you have done.

“It’s so, so frustrating. We had dominance in the first half and we should have been in a good position going into half-time.

“For all the good chances we had we couldn’t score and when you do that it leaves the door ajar. We played so well in the first half but in the second we had a few minutes of madness.”

Defeat leaves the Owls eight points clear of the relegation places – 11 points if Wigan are deducted 12 points for entering administration – and waiting nervously on the EFL hearing over the controversial sale of Hillsborough.

The verdict is expected this week, and if found guilty, Wednesday could be punished with a points penalty – plunging them into the bottom three.

With just five games remaining – home games against Preston North End, on Wednesday evening, Huddersfield Town and Middlesbrough, with trips to QPR and Fulham – there would be little time for Wednesday to rescue their season.

Yet, on the pitch, in the four games since lockdown, Monk’s team has certainly showed signs of improvement. Big wage-earners like Steven Fletcher, Sam Hutchinson, Fernando Forestieri, Morgan Fox and Sam Winnall left last week after their contracts expired – with more expected to follow them through the exit door at Hillsborough later this month.

But employing three centre-backs, utilising the pace of Kadeem Harris and Jacob Murphy as wing-backs, Wednesday do not look like a team which has won just three games in 18 Championship outings.

Murphy’s first chance of the day came when Adam Reach – in as a replacement for the rested Harris – crossed, but the on-loan Newcastle United winger ballooned the ball over.

With Barry Bannan and Kieran Lee controlling the game in midfield, Wednesday saw chance after chance go begging.

Centre-back Dominic Iorfa had a chance with a header, but just like Murphy and Da Cruz, failed to test Woodman.

How Monk must have wished for a striker of Rhian Brewster’s quality at his disposal. One chance and the Liverpool loanee volleyed Swansea in front on 52 minutes, from Connor Roberts’s cross.

Reached fouled Roberts, to gift the hosts a penalty on 66 minutes, Ayew confidently tucking the ball away.

Even then, Wednesday had their chances to snatch an unlikely draw. Substitute Atdhe Nuhiu headed in Murphy’s cross to make it 2-1 in stoppage time, but before that the giant striker spurned a good chance, firing wide with just Woodman to beat.

“The players are as frustrated as me,” said Monk. “There is so much they are doing right, but you can’t be as dominant as we were in the first half and not come away with goals.”

Swansea: Woodman, Roberts, Naughton, Guehi, Bidwell, Fulton, Grimes, Ayew, Gallagher (Byers 69), Routledge (van der Hoorn 63), Brewster (Cullen 88). Unused substitutes: Celina, Dyer, Kalulu, Dhanda, Mulder, Cabango.

Sheffield Wednesday: Wildsmith, Palmer, Iorfa, Borner, Murphy, Lee (Hunt 46), Bannan, Luongo (Nuhiu 70), Reach (Harris 67), Wickham, Da Cruz (Rhodes 79). Unused substitutes Pelupessy, Odubajo, Dawson, Hughes, Shaw.

Referee: S Martin (Staffordshire).

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