Sheffield Wednesday missed the chance to climb again into the League One play-off positions after dropping 2-0 at house to in-form Rotherham United.
Second half objectives from Freddie Ladapo and Michael Smith halted the Owls’ four-match profitable run.
Yesterday’s defeat was Wednesday’s first at Hillsborough since October 2 and the outcome helped the Millers tighten their grip on prime spot.
With 15 matches remaining, the Owls are eighth within the desk, a degree exterior the play-off locations.
Listed here are 5 speaking factors after the South Yorkshire derby.
Tough taking part in circumstances
It was not straightforward for both aspect to get the ball down and play at a rain-lashed Hillsborough. The torrential rain left standing water on the pitch forward of kick-off. The taking part in floor was boggy in sure areas, significantly close to the house and away dug-outs.
Given the Owls host Accrington Stanley on Wednesday night, boss Darren Moore is understandably anxious concerning the state of the pitch.
“The pitch doesn’t look good,” admitted Moore. “It wants some work on it.
“We’ll do our degree finest to get it in some state for Wednesday.
“The best way we go about our recreation, we want an excellent, clear floor.”
Regardless of the pitch not being in one of the best situation, Wednesday had been the higher aspect within the opening hour. They performed with actual fluidity, confidence and function.
A magnanimous Paul Warne stated: “We weren’t at our greatest and Wednesday, a staff in kind and powerful at house, simply had an excessive amount of for us. We needed to change it at half-time and say just a few house truths.”
In each sense, the Millers weathered the storm. Warne’s troops defended resolutely and hit the Owls with a second half sucker-punch.
A smash-and-grab win? It was not far off it.
The half-time introduction of Oliver Rathbone gave the Millers extra vitality and aggression within the centre. The Owls’ midfield three of Barry Bannan, Massimo Luongo and George Byers weren’t as dominant after the break.
Profitable groups discover a strategy to win, even when they aren’t at their finest. Rotherham didn’t deserve to go away S6 with most factors however had been ruthlessly environment friendly within the ultimate third, scoring with their solely two pictures on the right track.
Toothless assault
The ultimate scoreline was harsh on the Owls.
However Moore’s males didn’t take advantage of their alternatives once they had been on prime.
“We will’t be too despondent with the efficiency, it was an excellent one and we had some good probabilities,” admitted Moore.
“If there’s a small critique of the group, it’s nearly changing these probabilities and being actual ‘eye of the tiger’ by way of our execution of them.”
Too typically Wednesday haven’t proven the ‘eye of the tiger’ on the enterprise finish of the pitch this time period. They’ve let opponents off the hook.
Would they’ve received had both Lee Gregory or Josh Windass been match? You wish to suppose they might have transformed a few of the probabilities the staff original. Each Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Callum Paterson had off days in entrance of purpose.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing
It’s onerous to be too crucial of the previous Cardiff Metropolis and Middlesbrough man. He tried to make issues occur in possession and was a relentless menace.
Mendez-Laing, rested in opposition to Wigan Athletic, was deployed within the No 9 place. He was a handful because the Owls took management of the primary half.
Though Mendez-Laing was taken off within the closing phases with muscle tightness, Moore expects the skilled ahead to be match to face Accrington Stanley.
With Gregory and Windass nonetheless unavailable for choice, it’s pivotal Mendez-Laing stays out of the remedy room if Wednesday are to maintain their faint hopes alive of gatecrashing the top-two alive. He’s a significant attacking weapon at this degree.
A controversial opener
The rub of the inexperienced didn’t go the Owls’ manner for Ladapo’s purpose.
Referee Darren Drysdale signalled for a nook after Shane Ferguson’s looping cross took a deflection off Callum Paterson.
However TV replays recommend goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell appeared to maintain the ball in play.
“The primary purpose was debatable,” stated Moore, who additionally felt Liam Palmer had a robust penalty attraction waved away. “It didn’t seem like the ball had gone out.”
Moore and Wednesday in all probability do have a degree. Palmer felt the officers didn’t get the “massive choices proper”.
But that doesn’t excuse the below-par marking from the set piece.
The Owls’ Achilles’ heel
The numbers make for grim studying.
Wednesday have now conceded 15 objectives from set performs. These defensive lapses in focus are costing them helpful factors within the promotion race.
Palmer instructed Yorkshire Dwell: “Set items are a large a part of the sport. We work on them earlier than each recreation.
“Rotherham are the most effective by way of the number of set items. We went by way of 4 or 5 totally different ones.
“Each their objectives had been second contacts. We must always have gotten the primary contact on the primary purpose. The extensive free kick for the second hit me within the abdomen and it bounced and Smithy put it in.
“We have now come up in opposition to some bodily and hard sides within the final 4 video games and I believe we have now positively improved with set performs however it price us in opposition to Rotherham.”
