Reading vs Sheffield Wednesday. Sky Bet Championship.
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Saturday 25 November 2017 18:53, UK
Sheffield Wednesday stretched their undefeated Championship run to six matches after being held to an uninspiring 0-0 draw at lowly Reading.
Although Reading dominated much of the first half, mainly through the skills of Sone Aluko, they were unable find their finishing touch. Wednesday improved after the break, but Lucas Joao wasted their best chance with a tame close-range effort.
Wednesday went into the game on an unbeaten run of five matches, which had taken them to within four points of the play-offs. A stoppage-time equaliser from Atdhe Nuhiu gave them a 2-2 draw at Ipswich on Wednesday.
Reading had won only three of their previous 12 league games, winning only once in seven outings at home in all competitions. They recovered from 2-0 down at half time to draw 2-2 at Bolton on Tuesday.
Reading began the brighter and created three chances in the open and entertaining early exchanges. Chris Gunter crossed from the left and the ball fell to Aluko at the far post. However, the unmarked winger could not make the most of the space afforded to him and drove across the face of goal.
Reading continued to press, with Wednesday barely getting a look-in, and David Edwards' looping header was comfortably saved by goalkeeper Keiren Westwood. Westwood also dealt easily with a weak 20-yard effort from Aluko and then Liam Moore headed wide from a Liam Kelly corner.
Most of the approach work from Wednesday involved the industrious Barry Bannan, but they were still unable to penetrate the solid home defence. Aluko was again proving a nuisance to Wednesday along the left flank, but a well-struck deep cross flew too far for any of his team-mates to connect with.
Bannan continued to pull the strings for Wednesday going forward, but strikers Steven Fletcher and Joao were starved of decent service. Wednesday appeared revitalised after the interval and twice went close to breaking the deadlock. Joao found himself with time and room inside the home six-yard box, but could only lob weakly into the arms of keeper Vito Mannone.
Fletcher then latched on to a long punt from Westwood but lost control at the vital moment and was crowded out by the retreating home defence. Reading survived unconvincingly but almost made the breakthrough when Kelly found Aluko free on the edge of the Wednesday area. Aluko's first-time attempt carried power but flew narrowly the wrong side of Westwood's near post. Leandro Bacuna also tried his luck from distance but was well off target.
Wednesday were almost punished near the end but held on for a point after Mo Barrow blazed over from a Jon Dadi Bodvarsson cross.
Jaap Stam: "I think that we played well and created several opportunities in the first half. For the majority of the game, we dominated in how we wanted to play. We always had to be aware of their counter-attack.
"You could see their plans of sitting deep, waiting to win the ball and then knocking it over the top. But we defended that well and didn't give anything away."
Carlos Carvalhal: "We came to the game with a plan. They played Tuesday, we played Wednesday, so they had one more day to recover. We put out a team that was good and competent.
"Our plan was to try to block Reading's game in the first half and, in the second half try to win the match. We did what we had to do - we blocked Reading's dynamic - and the game was very tactical."
