Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl accentuates the positive as home run ends with Portsmouth stalemate
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY boss Danny Rohl reflected on the progress made over the course of the season following his side’s 1-1 draw with Portsmouth in their final home game of the campaign.
The home side took an early lead through Callum Paterson before Harvey Blair levelled for Pompey, who had secured survival on Easter Monday.
The game was played against a backdrop of discontent among the home supporters, with protests aimed at owner Dejphon Chansiri taking place outside the stadium before kick-off.
As the players walked out, yellow balloons with the printed message ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’ were launched from the stands.
“We played good football, the better team,” said Rohl. “They had one shot on target and this is the conceded goal.
“We created a lot, a lot of good things. But yeah, at the end, and maybe this is also the result from our development after the last 18 months that we are not anymore the underdog.
“We are more the team who has to dictate the games at home and then the smart final decisions. You have to improve. I think it’s also new for this team sometimes to play against the deep block.
“Then you need every pass right. The equaliser was a little bit of a typical conceded goal that we had all season.
“But we should not speak about this game too much. All in all we should be proud that the moment we developed from position 24th to 12th, we have nothing to do with the relegation fight.
“Look what happens at the moment, how tight this is. Since three weeks we are safe. This is good.
“If you look now to the table, there’s also a reason why we are at this point. I think it’s a good basic for more to develop but of course, as I said many times, you have to do some things right in the summer.
“But today we should enjoy it, it was a good thank you with the fans, with the families and all in all it was a good day.”
Paterson opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a shot from eight yards which went in off the underside of the bar after receiving the ball from Stuart Armstrong.
Connor Ogilvie went close to equalising with a near-post header from Josh Murphy’s cross which went just wide.
The visitors did draw level midway through the half when Blair produced a close-range finish following Murphy’s ball into the area for his first senior goal.
Both sides made a change for the start of the second half with Wednesday’s Djeidi Gassama replaced by Anthony Musaba while Regan Poole took over from Conor Shaughnessy for the visitors.
Musaba was soon involved, firing in a low shot from distance which was turned wide by goalkeeper Ben Killip.
Musaba had another chance when Bannan slipped the ball through to him on the left-hand side of the area but he put his angled effort wide.
As the lively Musaba threatened to race on to a ball played into the area, Killip had to be alert to cut out the danger.
Rohl made a double substitution with around 15 minutes remaining, sending on Liam Palmer and Nathaniel Chalobah in place of Valery and Michael Smith.
Chalobah soon fired in a low shot which failed to test Killip while Rob Atkinson went close for the visitors, heading narrowly wide from Murphy’s free-kick.
Sheffield Wednesday: P Charles, Paterson (McNeill 84), S Charles, Ihiekwe, Johnson, Valery (Palmer 74), Armstrong (Ingelsson 69), Bannan, Gassama (Musaba 46), Windass, Smith (Chalobah 74). Unused substitutes: Beadle, Hatsuse, Kobacki, Ugbo.
Portsmouth: Killip, Devlin, Shaughnessy (Poole 46), Atkinson, Ogilvie, Potts, Hayden (Pack 72), Blair (Gordon 59), Dozzell (Lang 71), Murphy (Bramall 86), Bishop. Unused substitutes: Schmid, Ritchie, Saydee, O'Mahony.
Referee: Leigh Doughty (Lancashire).