The Championship season was back underway at Hillsborough as Wednesday and Nottingham Forest shared the spoils.
Joe Lolley scored in the second half after the Owls had looked by far the more likely to take the points. Time and again they poured forward but only some fine defending and the woodwork kept the game goalless before the visitors struck.
But the hosts were not to be denied and Connor Wickham headed home in stoppage time to salvage a thoroughly deserved draw.
Behind closed doors and beneath the blazing sun, the Owls began brightly, taking the game to the Midlanders.
Barry Bannan was looking dangerous, spreading play to both flanks from the engine room. Bannan started the move that finished with Massimo Luongo firing just wide on the 15-minute mark.
Forest hit back with dangerman Lolley pulling the trigger just inside the penalty area but Dominic Iorfa was perfectly positioned to bravely block.
Back the ball went to the other end where Bannan cleverly slotted Jordan Rhodes in on goal but keeper Brice Samba was off his line swiftly to deal with the danger.
Kieran Lee then got to the byline and fed Wickham at the back post and the striker’s header was cleared by Tobias Figueiredo at close quarters.
Moments later Luongo volleyed inches over the bar as the Owls dominated possession and chances.
Lolley posed the visitors’ chief threat and it was the same player who curled a teasing set piece up and over Joe Wildsmith’s bar.
The break was welcome for Forest, who regrouped and started the second half with more zest.
But it was Wednesday that went close to breaking the deadlock just before the hour. Jacob Murphy crossed from the right and Wickham headed against the post – Lee looked certain to finish the rebound but Joe Worrall somehow prevented the ball going in.
Forest went straight up to the other end and came within a whisker of scoring themselves. Brennan Johnson burst into space down the left and his low cross was just too pacey for the onrushing Lewis Grabban.
But the visitors would make no mistake from their next attack on 70 minutes, when Lolley broke free from the right flank and cut inside to slot calmly across Wildsmith and in.
It was hard on Wednesday, who had done everything but put the ball in the net but they almost went 2-0 down 10 minutes from time.
It was that man Lolley at the heart of the action once more, forcing Wildsmith into a low diving save at his near post.
Then, just as it seemed Forest were taking the points back down the M1, Wednesday struck.
Alessio Da Cruz swung over an accurate corner and Wickham was in the right place at the right time to thump an unstoppable header into the roof of Samba’s net.
Wednesday: Wildsmith, Palmer, Börner, Iorfa, Bannan, Luongo (Hunt 83), Harris, Lee (Reach 74), Murphy (Odubajo 68), Rhodes (Fletcher 68, Da Cruz 74), Wickham