Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Middlesbrough: Boro suffer play-off blow at Hillsborough
Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Middlesbrough: Hillsborough defeats Boro in the playoffs
Anthony Musaba, a substitute for Sheffield Wednesday, scored the game-winning goal in the 89th minute as Middlesbrough’s dreams of
qualifying for the Sky Bet Championship play-offs were dashed by a devastating 2-1 loss at Hillsborough.
In rain-soaked South Yorkshire, Michael Carrick’s team seemed headed for a top six finish after Finn Azaz’s 11th-minute opening.
But early in the second half, Josh Windass equalised, and at the end, Musaba gave Wednesday its first victory at home since New Year’s
Day.
Boro blew a big chance to double their advantage when Tommy Conway’s penalty was saved by Owls goalkeeper Pierce Charles in the
22nd minute.
With two games remaining, a victory would have moved the visitors to sixth place on goal differential, but they are still three
points behind Coventry, who lost to relegation-threatened Plymouth.
While Wednesday manager Danny Rohl made four changes following a lacklustre 2-0 loss at Stoke, Middlesbrough manager
Michael Carrick kept with the starting lineup that started Friday’s thrilling 2-1 victory against Plymouth.
Before Boro grabbed an 11th-minute lead, the hosts had a comparatively strong start thanks to a test from returned Owls
captain Barry Bannan against visiting keeper Mark Travers.
The goal was scored by Azaz after Wednesday defender Marvin Johnson lost control deep inside his own half and was slipped
in by Morgan Whittaker, Tommy Conway, and Hayden Hackney.
After Hackney waltzed past the Wednesday defence and was deemed to have been hauled over in the box by Svante Ingelsson, Boro were awarded a second-goal opportunity.
Conway onto the pitch once more after his team’s late goal against the Pilgrims, but Charles, who had given Stoke a second
goal three days prior, made a superb double save.
Due to players going unpaid for a while, rumours about head coach Rohl’s future, and continuous protests by supporters
against chairman Dejphon Chansiri, Wednesday’s hopes of making the playoffs were severely dashed during a dismal month
that saw them collect just two points out of a possible 18.
Owls move forward. As the home team attempted to equalise in the first half, Windass had a free-kick deflected away by
Travers and then crash just wide of the left post.
In the 45th minute, after a careless pass from Bannan, Marcus Forss put up a strong, low effort, but Charles saved the day once
more.
Windass equalised in the 54th minute after forcing another save from Travers early in the second session.
After Michael Smith headed against the left post from Callum Paterson’s cross, Ingelsson’s scuffed shot across goal was
diverted home from close range by the stretching Windass.
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