Bolton 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday: Trotters again fail to find net in stalemate

Fernando Forestieri missed a glorious chance to open his account for Sheffield Wednesday as the away side were frustrated by a determined Bolton in a 0-0 Sky Bet Championship draw at the Macron Stadium.

The 25-year-old Italian, a £3million arrival from Watford earlier this season, blazed over from inside the six-yard box shortly after half-time as the best chance of an uninspiring game went begging.

The home side have scored just three league goals this campaign, and looked short of ideas in the final third as they struggled to test 19-year-old Owls goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith.

While Neil Lennon opted for an unchanged side following Saturday's first win of the season against Wolves, Wednesday manager Carlos Carvahal made three changes from the side beaten against Burnley - most notably bringing in Michael Turner for his first appearance since joining on loan from Norwich at the expense of captain Glenn Loovens.

Liam Palmer and Ross Wallace were also replaced with Marco Matias and Jack Hunt.

Wednesday made the brighter start, and might have taken the lead after just three minutes had Forestieri not slipped at a crucial moment after a swift break.

Marco Matias should have opened the scoring after seven minutes when he met Jack Hunt's low cross at the back post, but a tame finish allowed Prince-Desir Gouano to get back and scramble the ball off the line.

A Barry Bannan cross was headed over by Atdhe Nuhiu as the visitors continued to dominate, and Matias again found himself clean through in the 10th minute after a clever pass down the left channel from Daniel Pudil, but goalkeeper Ben Amos smothered the ball as the Portuguese forward elected to try and round him rather than shoot.

A Liam Feeney corner was headed over by Derik Osede as the hosts mounted their first meaningful attack, while at the other end Kieran Lee's brilliant skill to round two defenders was not matched by a tame shot which Amos comfortably saved.

Arsenal loanee Wellington Silva was Bolton's most prominent threat, and after a neat one-two on the edge of the box the Brazilian was unlucky to see his low shot deflect behind in the 34th minute.

Forestieri spurned a golden chance two minutes after the restart when he lofted the ball over the bar after Nuhiu's header found him unmarked, while at the other end Gary Madine headed over a similarly gilt-edged opportunity from close range when Osede nodded a Feeney free-kick back across goal.

Substitute Stephen Dobbie finally forced Wildsmith into a save, albeit a routine one, with a curling 20-yard effort in the 74th minute, but although Bolton pressed late on they never looked like breaching Wednesday's defence.