Sheffield Wednesday 2-2 Hartlepool United
By Will Aitkenhead
Sheffield Wednesday dropped points at home for the second time in a row as a late Anthony Sweeney goal saw Hartlepool snatch a point at Hillsborough. Gary Megson’s men had looked set to get back to winning ways after goals from Jermaine Johnson and Gary Madine but Nicky Weaver was caught off his line by Sweeney with just minutes remaining.
Earlier, Peter Hartley had headed Hartlepool into the lead after being left unmarked at a corner just after the start of the second half. Hartley could easily have been sent off in the first half after appearing to pull Madine back as he went through on goal. Referee Gavin Ward deemed that Hartley wasn’t the last man, however, and only showed a yellow card.
Wednesday had started the brighter side as Chris O’Grady and Mike Jones both failed to capitalise on excellent chances. Luke James, just 17 years old, had Hartlepool’s best chance of the first half as he latched onto a loose back pass from Owls skipper Rob Jones. Weaver was off his line quickly though and did just enough to force James wide and Reda Johnson cleared the danger.
After Hartlepool’s opener Wednesday bounced back with a superb solo goal from Jermaine Johnson. Collecting the ball from Weaver inside his own half, Johnson went on a mazy run passed several defenders before cutting in from the right and blasting into the far corner in front of a delirious Kop.
The Owls then looked set for all three points as Madine took advantage of poor defending to lash home with his left foot from just inside the box for his first goal since returning from injury.
Hartlepool were not to be denied, however, and Sweeney pounced on a high ball that had been allowed to bounce, catching the sleeping Weaver off his line with a sumptuous lob from 25 yards out to ensure they took a point home with them.
Megson said after the game, ‘It has got to be seen as a disappointment. We’ve had 11 good chances and we’ve only scored two. They’ve had two and they’ve put them both in. Little things make such big differences and if we look back on the last three or four games, I would think that we’ve chucked away six or seven points.’
The Owls travel to Blackpool next in a fourth round FA Cup tie, to be played on Saturday.
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