Robins and Owls in first-half stalemate
As expected, City boss Gary Johnson made just one change from the side which started at
But Wednesday manager Brian Laws had no such luxury after a virus swept through Hillsborough, reducing the options available to him. Centre-backs Darren Purse and Mark Beevers were deemed too ill to travel, Michael Gray was sidelined by a hamstring strain and Richard Wood was omitted altogether after being placed on the transfer list.
Laws persuaded the Football League to hurry through the registration of youth team players Nick Wood, Nathan Modest and Max Wragg in order that they could supplement a substitutes’ bench decimated by injury and illness.
Speaking prior to kick-off, manager Johnson challenged his in-form team to close the gap on Championship leaders Newcastle United and third-placed
“We have to raise the bar and aim for the top two,” declared the Londoner. “If we strive for that, then it will help us stay in the play-off places at the very least.”
Surprisingly, it was Wednesday who came out firing on all cylinders and City keeper Dean Gerken had to be at his best to block an angled shot from Tommy Miller in the very first minute as the Owls threatened to stun Ashton Gate into silence.
Home supporters again had hearts in mouths when Luke Varney exchanged passes with strike partner Marcus Tudgay and sent a low shot thudding against the base of the post. Had it gone in it would not have counted as a linesman had flagged for an offside infringement.
City finally asserted themselves on 12 minutes, Danny Haynes whipping in a cross from the right and Marvin Elliott heading towards goal, only for Owls keeper Lee Grant to make a fantastic airborne save.
Gradually, City gained the upper hand in midfield and Maynard threatened to break clear of the covering defence when Haynes played him in. But Richard Hinds stuck out a leg to make a crucial interception.
Although City were enjoying plenty of possession, they were finding difficulty in breaking down stubborn opponents who put men behind the ball and denied the home side space in the final third.
Forced to try his luck from range, Maynard saw his shot on the turn saved comfortably by Grant. When City did finally manage to get behind Wednesday’s defence, Skuse climbed well enough to meet another Haynes cross, but was unable to direct his effort on target.
Wednesday were by now restricted to sporadic breakaways, yet still managed to carve out the better chances and Varney should have done better when shooting weakly at Gerken with the entire goal to aim at.
Encouraged by that raid, the Owls threatened twice more and Lewin Nyatanga and Louis Carey both had to make last-ditch challenges to deny Tudgay a clear sight of goal as the Owls finished the half in the ascendancy.
City (3-5-2): Gerken; Carey, McCombe, Nyatanga; Skuse, Elliott, Johnson, Sno, McAllister; Haynes, Maynard.
Wednesday(4-4-2): Grant; Spurr, Hinds, Simek, Buxton; Johnson, O’Connor, Potter, Miller; Tudgay, Varney.
Referee: Fred Graham (
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