Josh Windass scores as Sheffield Wednesday’s preseason calendar begins in drab draw with York City

Wednesday started the game with a group of mainly first-teamers, Luke Cook and Ciaran Brennan the only ones in the XI that didn’t play a heavy role for the side in their successful promotion push of last season.

On the face of things it looked like a 4-1-4-1 formation from Munoz, with a backline of Reece James, Akin Famewo, Dominic Iorfa and Brennan, Tyreeq Bakinson sat in front of them, and then Marvin Johnson, Josh Windass, Barry Bannan and Cook making up the midfield. Lee Gregory led the line alone.

It started as you’d expect for a first preseason game, a few loose touches and no chances of note – both teams feeling each other out as they begin their march to full fitness after the summer break.

But as the game went on the Owls started to come into their own, Cook had a shot blocked after a lovely flick from Bannan, and Gregory’s strike from close range was saved by Ryan Whitley after Johnson had made headway down the left.

With 25 minutes on the clock they made their pressure count, pressure from Gregory forced a sloppy backpass out of the York defence, and Windass was on his toes to pounce, rounding the goalkeeper to slot into the back of an open net. 1-0 Owls.

As you’d expect there wasn’t too much urgency to the play, but Wednesday did knock it about nicely at times, Windass and Gregory linking up well and the two centre looking very composed in possession and solid whenever they were pressured.

It was all change for the second half, the Owls making a whole raft of alterations as they gave a run-out to others in the squad. Favour Onukwuli, Adam Alimi-Adetoro, Jay Glover, Will Vaulks – who took the captain’s armband – Cian Flannery, Callum Paterson, Michael Smith and Michael Ihiekwe all took to the field.

City started the stanza brightly amid all the changes, and a freekick tested Dawson in the 52^nd minute, the stopper tipping it over the bar. He also saved a header from the resulting corner.

Wednesday were nowhere near as fluid in the second half, and York managed to level things up before the hour-mark. A nice bit of play down the left saw a ball crossed into the box, and Finlay Barnes was on hand to bundle it over the line. The defending wasn’t good, and it would’ve been penalty had they not scored after a late challenge from Vaulks.

Pierce Charles, Sean Fusire, and Joey Phuthi all came on shortly afterwards - Dawson, Brennan and Cook were replaced.

The Owls barely threatened after the break, the only slight chance coming as Phuthi broke well to get on the end of a Fusire pass, but his cross was collected by David Stockdale - who received a very warm welcome from the travelling fans when he came on at the break. Fusire did well again not long afterwards, but nobody got on the end of his low drive across goal.

Things fizzled out as the game went on, with no real spark from either side, and a 1-1 draw felt fair as Ben Speedie blew his whistle after 90 minutes. 22 players got a runout, and now it’s onto Chesterfield on Tuesday night.