Sheffield Wednesday vs Nottingham Forest. Sky Bet Championship.
Hillsborough.
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough as the Owls' survival hopes hang in the balance after a stalemate against Chris Hughton's men
Saturday 1 May 2021 19:05, UK
Sheffield Wednesday's chances of avoiding relegation from the Sky Bet Championship remain in the balance after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Nottingham Forest.
There were few clear-cut chances in a tight encounter at Hillsborough, though Lewis Grabban missed the game's best chance when his penalty was saved by Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood, who had given away the spot-kick after a foul on Anthony Knockaert (45+1).
The stalemate means Darren Moore's men move three points from safety, with Derby's 2-1 defeat to Swansea at the Liberty Stadium ensuring the battle for survival goes to the final day, when Wednesday travel to Pride Park to take on Wayne Rooney's Rams at 12.30pm.
Forest, meanwhile, climb above Birmingham and Coventry into 16th.
While Forest had nothing left to play for in the penultimate fixture of the season, the brief was clear for Wednesday: win or draw to stave off the immediate threat of relegation. Defeat just would not be sufficient to keep them in the division.
It soon became clear that it would be a closely-fought encounter at Hillsborough. The lively Kadeem Harris worked some encouraging openings for the hosts, while Forest's Filip Krovinovic sent the ball skidding across the six-yard box, where Grabban struggled to reach it at the far post.
A game crying out for some drama was granted it in the dying seconds of the first half. Westwood played the ball out to Adam Reach on the left of the penalty area, who mindlessly headed straight back in the direction of his goalkeeper.
Knockaert chased it down, before being sent to the turf by Westwood, who went from zero to hero in a matter of seconds when he got down low to his left to push Grabban's spot-kick behind.
It was a lively start from Wednesday after the break, but another mistake at the back almost cost them dearly, when Grabban seized on Julian Borner's reckless ball back into the penalty area, drew Westwood away from goal and struck a shot into the side netting.
The hosts introduced Jordan Rhodes in an attempt to force a winner and he headed a Josh Windass cross narrowly wide, before Windass himself was denied the winner when Brice Samba tipped his powerful drive onto the woodwork. For Wednesday, though, the all-important goal never materialised.
Sheffield Wednesday assistant Jamie Smith: "Being in and around the dressing room, I can say there was no resignation in there. Afterwards, the mood was more disappointment because we had built up the importance of getting three points all week. There were some nerves, I suppose, and the occasion maybe got to us a little bit - particularly in the first half when we were a bit frantic on the ball and our decision making wasn't good enough at times.
"It was also very frustrating to see some of the defensive mistakes but, fortunately, they did not lead to us conceding and Keiren made a great save to keep us in it. We still had chances but it did not happen for us even though we had picked a team that we thought would win the game and put Callum Paterson out on the right, to give us extra height and an attacking threat."
Nottingham Forest's Chris Hughton: "Over 90 minutes, I felt we were the team more likely to score. You could see they were a team fighting for their lives, but we are disappointed that it got to the stage that we needed a superb save from Brice to get a draw because we shouldn't have had to rely on that and I think we should have got more than a point with the chances we had.
"I couldn't fault the players' attitude and endeavour but, if you don't take your chances, it always gives the opposition that little bit of hope. Their keeper also made a good save from the penalty and I think that changed the game because, if they'd have gone in at half-time 1-0 down, they would have had to change their game and it would have opened up a lot more in the second half."
Both teams are next in action at 12.30pm on Saturday, May 8, when the Sky Bet Championship season concludes. Sheffield Wednesday travel to Pride Park to face Derby, while Nottingham Forest host Preston at the City Ground.
