Off the mark
The Owls posted their first point of the season against Yorkshire rivals Leeds at Elland Road on Saturday, drawing 1-1.
In what developed into an entertaining derby clash, Wednesday struck first through Kamil Zayatte before Ross McCormack levelled the game after the break.
The game was not short of chances at both ends and a share of the spoils was perhaps a fair result in West Yorkshire.
The pointers from the off were for a lively Yorkshire derby with a number of firm challenges inside the early exchanges that were typical of such an affair.
With the presence of towering striker Atdhe Nuhiu, Michail Antonio’s angled cross ten minutes into the contest threatened to unlock the Leeds defence but the ball just evaded the big frontman.
The game, though, needed a spark and Leeds striker Dominic Poleon almost provided it, latching on to a loose ball in midfield, but was thwarted at the last by returning defender Lewis Buxton.
Nuhiu’s aerial threat was apparent again on the 20-minute mark, as the striker forced Paddy Kenny into making a save on the line with a header from Chris Maguire’s flag kick.
At the half-hour point, Leeds almost drew first blood when McCormack hit a firm strike on target that Chris Kirkland tipped over his crossbar.
But it was to be Wednesday who would hit the front from the next attack.
Jeremy Helan’s corner was nodded back into the centre by Antonio for Zayatte, who placed his looping header over the outstretched Kenny and into the net.
Following the resumption, a stinging Luke Murphy drive from the edge of the area flew over Kirkland’s goal before McCormack did restore parity.
The ex-Cardiff man charged goalwards and, after a clever piece of ingenuity to deceive Zayatte, applied a low finish beneath Kirkland to draw the Whites level.
McCormack’s equaliser sparked Leeds into life but in their search for a quickfire second, the Owls almost regained the lead.
Reda Johnson delivered a teasing ball into the middle and but for a fine defensive header from Jason Pearce, Nuhiu was lurking in the middle ready to strike.
As an enthralling final 15 minutes unfolded, Antonio raced down the left before cutting inside to blast a low drive on target that Kenny saved well.
There was desperate defending by Leeds eight minutes from time as Jacques Maghoma’s strike from close range was charged down and eventually cleared by the hosts.
With five minutes of added time signalled, neither side seemed content with a point as both pressed for a winner, but 1-1 was how it finished, as the Owls get off the mark in 2013/14.
Leeds: Kenny, Peltier, Lees, Pearce, Murphy, Green (Tonge 46), Austin, Varney (Smith 73), Warnock, Poleon (Diouf 85), McCormack
Owls: Kirkland, Buxton, Gardner, Zayatte, Helan, Palmer, Prutton, Coke, Antonio, Nuhiu (Maghoma 69), Maguire (R Johnson 65)