Full-time: Sheffield Wednesday 0 Bristol City 0

City demonstrated new-found resilience to stop the rot in South Yorkshire, writes Andy Stockhausen.

In need of a morale-boosting performance after losing 3-1 at Ipswich and dropping to 15th in the Coca-Cola Championship, the Robins held firm under heavy pressure at Hillsborough.

Although Wednesday edged it in terms of possession, the visitors carved out the best chances and should have returned to the West with all three points.

Nicky Maynard proved the chief culprit, making a hash of City's best opening a minute into the second half.

Otherwise, the Robins defended bravely and keeper Adriano Basso made sure of a thoroughly-deserved point when keeping out Leon Clarke's piledriver five minutes from time.

City were forced into a defensive reshuffle at half-time, manager Johnson withdrawing the injured Skuse, switching Marvin Elliott to right-back and sending on his son, Lee, to operate in the centre of midfield.

Both teams had chances at the start of the second period and the visitors should have taken the lead when Ivan Sproule put Maynard clean through in the 47th minute. The young striker did everything right in wrong-footing keeper Lee Grant, only to somehow send his shot wide of goal from 10 yards out when it seemed easier to score.

Presented with a less straightforward opportunity at the other end, Clarke drilled his low shot inches wide of an upright with Basso struggling to make his ground.

But most of the chances were materialising at the other end and Maynard, desperate to make amends, forced Grant into a smart save with a first-time shot from just inside the penalty area, while Richard Wood cleared off the line when Jamie McCombe met Michael McIndoe's flighted free-kick with a deft flick at the near post.

A physical presence in the opposition penalty area, McCombe then played a threatening ball across the face of goal which narrowly eluded the in-rushing Stern John.

Wednesday almost profited from a set-piece routine at the midway point in the second half, Marcus Tudgay meeting James O'Connor's corner kick with a header which just cleared the bar.

Wednesday piled on the pressure during the final 15 minutes and Tudgay again went close when sending a powerful shot wide of Basso's right-hand post.

In a first half of few chances, Francis Jeffers represented Wednesday's most likely source of a goal and his shot on the turn cannonned off the legs of Jamie McCombe and to safety, much to the relief of red-shirted defenders.

City did have the ball in the net shortly before half-time, McAllister's lofted free-kick from the halfway line sailing into an unprotected net, only for referee Rob Shoebridge to blow up for a foul on Grant.