Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Middlesbrough: Championship’s bottom two sides share points at Hillsborough

Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough remain rooted in the Championship relegation zone after sharing the spoils at Hillsborough.

Darragh Lenihan levelled shortly after half-time, turning home a corner, and, from there, the visitors began to take control.

Boro’s Matt Crooks had a goal disallowed for offside as the visitors had the better of the second period although George Byers missed a good late chance for Wednesday.

Both teams have just two points apiece after seven games with Wednesday above bottom side Boro by virtue of the Owls’ superior goal difference.

Wednesday defender Pol Valentin had an early long-range effort saved before another shot from the Spaniard was almost diverted in by Ashley Fletcher at the far post.

There was a short delay after a section of Wednesday fans lobbed tennis balls on to the surface in protest at chairman Dejphon Chansiri, and Boro went close to taking the lead 11 minutes later when Samuel Silvera’s effort from six yards out was blocked after a good cross from Josh Coburn.

Josh Windass was forced off with an injury, and it was his replacement Musaba who put the Owls ahead as he side-footed home Di’Shon Bernard’s cross after the centre-back’s run from deep was picked out by Valentin.

Boro improved after the break as Silvera went close with an early effort before Lenihan took advantage of some poor defending to turn in the equaliser.

Crooks thought he had put Boro ahead soon after as he stooped to nod in a Lenihan header, but he had just got in front of the last defender and was flagged offside while Coburn cut in from the left and rifled a shot just past the Wednesday far post.

But the Owls could have won it in the 90th minute when the ball fell to Byers on the edge of the box, only for his attempt to curl an effort into the left corner to go well wide and sum up both sides’ misfiring starts to the season.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Xisco Munoz told BBC Radio Sheffield:

“I think the performance in the first half was a good level.

“We can’t have control of the game for the whole 90 minutes, I understand that.

“The second half was totally different to the first half, I think right now for me that is the most difficult work we have now for the future – to try and find this level, because they’ve shown we can reach this level, because the first half we had the control of the game.”

Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees:

“It was a game of two halves. The first half I felt for the players when things aren’t clicking – maybe an element of doubt was creeping in. Going behind really kick-started us and gave us that freedom to go and chase the game down and show what we’re capable of.

“There are two sides to it – I’m really encouraged because the performance is in there, but we can’t keep giving ourselves too much to do. It’s frustrating and disappointing but I am hugely proud of the players for the second half.

“It was not an easy place to be in that dressing room at half-time when you’ve had a run like we have but the players went out and faced the music and bounced back so I’m really proud of them.”