Forest denied at the death in Sheffield

A 93^rd minute equaliser from Connor Wickham earned Sheffield Wednesday a deserved point in an even, entertaining 1-1 contest at home to promotion-chasing Forest.

The visitors from Nottingham had led through Joe Lolley, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw after a loss of concentration when defending a late corner.

The game started with the usual high Championship intensity, despite the long break and empty stands.

Youngster Brennan Johnson, on his first league start for the visitors, had the first chance but nodded wide from Tiago Silva’s free-kick. 

Aussie playmaker Massimo Luongo then had a drive deflected wide from the edge of the box for the hosts, after Forest’s in-demand right-back Matty Cash tripped over the ball to concede possession. 

The Owls went close again just before the half hour; Barry Bannan played a great disguised pass through centre-half Joe Worrall’s legs, but keeper Brice Samba was quick to close down Jordan Rhodes.

Wickham then had a header blocked on the line for Wednesday, before smashing the rebound into the side netting from close range.

At the other end for the Reds, Lolley sent a 22-yard free kick just over and top-scorer Lewis Grabban placed a soft header straight at goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith. 

Forest came out of the blocks quicker after the break and forced Bannan to make a goal-saving tackle, but it was the Sheffield side who went the closest to breaking the deadlock so far. 

Wickham hit the post and then Kieran Lee sent the rebound beyond Samba, but homegrown centre-half Joe Worrall was there to make an incredible, stretching mid-air save with his right boot.

Worrall makes an incredible block to deny Kieran Lee on the line (credit: NFFC)

It was the visitors who got the opening goal with 21 minutes to play though.

A long ball down the line from Cash found Lolley, who brought it down, chopped into box on his left foot and whipped an effort low into the far corner.

Lolley went close to a second when his drive from distance was well parried by Wildsmith, but the Reds couldn’t see the game out. 

In the third minute of injury time, Wickham got in front of his flat-footed marker Figueiredo to score with a simple, close-range header on a corner. 

The draw leaves Forest five points inside the playoffs in fifth, whilst Wednesday stay 15^th.