Sheffield Wednesday 0 Grimsby Town 1: Injuries and grim realities as Owlets bow out of the League Cup
There was no insult in going out of the League Cup to a League Two side who had already shown their quality in knocking Manchester United out, but there was injury for Sheffield Wednesday at home to Grimsby Town. Or rather injuries.
That the Mariners are in the fourth round, and not the Owlets, was something of a mixed blessing.
No more division about the few who defied a boycott to buy tickets in the South Stand, no more extra fixtures for a squad not really big enough for those it already had in the Championship.
There have been positives from this League Cup run – the fighting spirit to see off Bolton Wanderers, the quality at home to Leeds United, the authoritative play from centre-back Ernie Weaver and the threat of centre-forward George Brown, who came close to making it onto Tuesday night's scoresheet.
Sixteen-year-old Yisa Alao added his name to the list of positives against Grimsby.
But two more players were added to the injury list in a 1-0 defeat that the 4,423 travelling fans rightly lapped up. Somebody may as well enjoy themselves at Hillsborough these days.
If playing a side with only two seniors in Ethan Horvath and Jamal Lowe – as they had at home to Leeds in round two – looked unambitious from manager Henrik Pedersen, the reason why was spelt out before half-time.
Shortly after the half-hour mark both Owls wing-backs – Reece Johnson and Olaf Kobacki – went down injured at opposite ends of the field and had to be substituted.
Wednesday's squad was thin enough as it was, but injuries are biting further into it. Even bringing Barry Bannan on for the final 20 minutes felt like a risk, though the captain no doubt wanted more.
Kobacki very nearly laid on a goal before he departed, running onto a beautifully-threaded pass from Lowe, and playing a pass which was begging for Brown to score. Before he could, Tyrell Warren made a brilliant tackle.
At 25 minutes in, it was the first attack of note from the Owlets in a strange atmosphere at Hillsborough.
With most Wednesday supporters boycotting the game there were almost twice as many visiting as home fans in the 9,424 crowd, the Grimsby supporters overflowing into three blocks in the otherwise empty North Stand as well as taking the Leppings Lane End.
Although they took a while to warm up, Grimsby had the better of the game until the Owlets pushed for an equaliser late on.
Charles Vernam, one of four former Bradford City players in the Mariners' matchday squad and the best player on the pitch whipped a 13th-minute free-kick in that Horvath had to punch away after Kobacki gave a free-kick away dangerously close to the penalty area.
The first shot of the night came a couple of minutes later, Jaze Kabia hitting a bouncing ball and brining Horvath into the game.
He had to make another shortly afterwards when Harvey Rodgers shot from a tight angle after Wednesday failed to get a free-kick clear.
After that, the Owlets began to nullify Grimsby's threat without really causing one themselves.
Still, it was no great shock when the visitors took the lead in the 49th minute.
It was harsh on Horvath, who had done so well to tip a Vernam free-kick over his crossbar. Taking a leaf out of the seniors' book, Wednesday conceded from the corner, Kabia's header going in via a flick off team-mate Cameron McJannet.
Three minutes later Justin Amaluzor cut inside on his left foot but off balance, his strike was off target.
Evan Khouri connected well with a 61st-minute shot but hit it straight at the goalkeeper, then McJannet headed off target at a free-kick.
He also got his head to a wonderful cross by the eye-catching Alao, Johnson's replacement.
Once Bannan was on the field, the game weas largely played in Grimsby's half – not just because of him, but because a League Two side were inevitably going to sit back a bit on a 1-0 lead.
Copper-bottomed chances, though, were scarce, and anyway Brown had come off in the double substitution, for Ike Ugbo. Christy Pynn had a quiet night in goal.
Without the distraction of the League Cup and the chance to see how Wednesday's kids are progressing – admittedly via the television rather than in the flesh for the vast majority – it threatens to a pretty grim slog from now until the day a blue-and-white knight finally comes to depose Chansiri.
All things considered, though, it might be for the best. What a wretched, joyless state of affairs that is.
Sheffield Wednesday: Horvath; Kobacki (Otegbayo 37), Emery, Weaver, McGhee; , Johnson (Alao 37), Fusire (Bannan 70), Shipston, Thornton (McNeill 86); J Lowe, Brown (Ugbo 70).
Unused substitutes: Palmer, Stretch, Grainger, Onukwuli.
Grimsby Town: Pym; Rodgers, Warren, McJannet, Staunton; McEachran; Amaluzor, Green (Walker 53), Khouri (Eccleston 86), Vernam (Burns 78); Kabia (Oduor 78).
Unused substitutes: Sweeney, Soonsup-Bell, Turi, Brown, Casper.
Referee: E Bell (Bootle).