Sheffield Wednesday 1 Stoke City 1: Steven Schumacher wins the subs battle as Owls let two huge points slip through their grasp on an agonising Hillsborough afternoon

Unfortunately on this particular day, it was tellingly made by Stoke City manager Steven Schumacher and not his Sheffield Wednesday counterpart Danny Rohl.

Just three minutes after entering the stage, Potters replacement Luke Cundle landed a blow in the solar plexus of the Owls with a cool 76th-minute leveller.

It was so galling for the hosts, who had worked so hard to manufacture a lead eight minutes later, given to them by an unlikely source in Liam Palmer, with a superb drive, just his second goal of the campaign.

Cundle made a difference as Stoke got what they came for. Fortunately, his next contribution was also a key one and he got in the way of a goalbound drive from fellow replacement Bae Junho, who had also perked up Stoke when he arrived.

Wednesday’s replacements were more tardy and after the exhilaration of their midweek draw with Norwich City when they came from two goals behind, this draw will have left them feeling more sore on a mixed afternoon in front of a bumper crowd of 32,041.

After a powerhouse second-half in midweek, Rohl spoke about the importance of the next step four days on.

He will have been pleased by his side’s efforts in the opening period and there was plenty to admire about Wednesday’s work, but unfortunately the scoreline wasn’t particularly kind.

In terms of intensity, application and tempo, the hosts could not be faulted. The breakthrough they merited did not come though.

They certainly had their moments.

A huge early chance saw Ike Ugbo - back in the starting line-up alongside Will Vaulks, Pol Valentin and Marvin Johnson - denied superbly at the near post by ex-Rotherham United keeper Daniel Iversen following Valentin’s pinpoint cross from the right.

Michael Smith, who led the line well, was desperately unlucky when his first-time effort after latching onto a high ball clipped the woodwork.

Smith did soon find the net but his header was ruled out for a foul following an Owls corner.

Schmacher admitted his side ‘lost their battles’ in their dire midweek loss at Swansea and they were also second best in terms of duels for most of the first half, before creeping into things slightly towards the end of the half.

Early home pressure also saw Michael Ihiekwe see his header cleared from close to the goalline by Tyreece Campbell as Stoke palpably struggled to get a foothold in the game in the opening 20 minutes or so.

The Potters weren’t exactly in a rush either. A draw certainly suited them and the scoreline was their friend at the interval.

Valentin fired over in the final quarter of the half, while Stoke’s only meaningful effort of the half came late on when Ben Wilmot - one of six changes to their line-up - bundled the ball after a dangerous free-kick from Lewis Baker was not cleared.

Stoke made an interval change with Bae replacing the totally anonymous Sead Haksabanovic and another arrived early in the second period when another player who was extremely quiet in Wouter Burger was replaced by ex-Sheffield United defender Enda Stevens following a fair bit of treatment after falling awkwardly.

Bae then gave Wednesday something to think about as Stoke played in front of their 4,000 away contingent with his fierce drive beaten out by Jimmy Beadle, his first real work of the afternoon.

The hosts’ start was not as convincing as their efforts in the first period, somewhat disappointingly and there was a sigh of relief when free-kick expert Lewis Baker, who had a loan spell earlier in his career at Hillsborough, saw his well-struck effort fly just wide.

Sensing a bit of unease, Wednesdayites pumped up the volume to provide a tonic for those in blue and white.

Ihiekwe almost provided a bigger reviver when his header sailed agonisingly wide following Vaulks’ free-kick on the hour mark.

The Owls were not hitting the heights of the first period, but persisted and got their rewards, fittingly from someone who has seen it, done it and experienced most things that wearing the Wednesday jersey has to offer - firing home a cracking first-time drive after Ihiekwe won a far-post header following a deep cross from the left.

The hosts had the game exactly where they wanted it, only to spoil it.

They switched off down their right side and were punished with Campbell’s clever reverse pass putting substitute Cundle in the clear and he coolly steered the ball past Beadle.

The visitors suddenly started to fancy it, roared on by their travelling hordes with Laurent soon blasting into the side-netting as Wednesday rocked for the first time in the afternoon.

A flurry of late home changes arrived late on. Ugbo almost won it. Almost but not quite.

Sheffield Wednesday: Beadle; Palmer (Iorfa 90+3), Ihiekwe, Famewo; Valentin (Cadamarteri 90+3), Vaulks, Bannan, Johnson; Windass (Paterson 66); Ugbo (Musaba 90+3), Smith (Gassama 84). Unused substitutes: Dawson, Pedersen, B Diaby, Iorfa, Hendrick.

Stoke City: Iversen; Wilmot, McNally, Rose (Manhoef 73), Thompson; Baker (Cundle 73), Burger (Stevens 49); Leris, Laurent, Haksabanovic (Bae 45); Campbell. Unused substitutes: Bonham, Vidigal, Ennis, Hoever, Lowe.

Referee: S Martin (Staffordshire).

Attendance: 32,041.