Huff, puff but nothing blown down in Sheffield Wednesday's bore draw with Huddersfield Town

For the first time in this bizarre new reality crowd noise was pumped through the stadium’s PA system, a nod perhaps to what the Owls had heard in their riotous 3-0 win at QPR’s Loftus Road at the weekend, but at times it felt as though even those on record belting out the full Wednesdayite repertoire in the early stages had lost their vigour later on.

A cruel intro, really. Wednesday weren’t bad, they were leggy. This has been an incredibly gruelling schedule and with the likes of Connor Wickham, Kieran Lee and Liam Palmer still not able to rejoin the thrice-weekly cycle of what’s been left of the season, it has been Garry Monk’s men that have been stretched more than most.

And Huddersfield, two points clear of the drop zone and effectively fighting for their lives, were no different.

Was it a relegation set-to? We don’t yet know. That will be decided by three men in suits rather than the 11 in blue and white shirts in due course, hopefully soon. But the match did lack an intensity that the Owls have played with for the majority of the restart.

If all the commotion around points deductions aren’t enough to give a Wednesdayite a headache, Huddersfield’s luminous orange away strip surely was. For the vast majority of the clash, it was the only eye-catching facet of a Yorkshire derby that never quite got going.

It was open but largely short on quality, both sides trading periods where they would create half and quarter-chances, as he has been all season, Karlan Grant provided the primary Town threat but was largely kept quiet by a diligent Owls back three, as was the Terriers’ on-loan Arsenal youngster Emile Smith-Rowe but for an early curling effort on goal.

Of the 25 shots traded between the two sides only five were on target. It’s a stat that perfectly illustrates the nature of the encounter.

Moses Odubajo and Kadeem Harris forced good saves from Lossl in the visitor’s net – Harris’ classy effort in particular bringing out the best in the Dane – but the whole evening lacked a little oomph as the last month seemed to catch up on everyone involved.

It’s been said before, but it is perhaps important to stress just what an incredible arc of improvement Jacob Murphy has travelled in his time at Sheffield Wednesday.

And though there have been false dawns in his short Owls career so far, it’s one Odubajo will hope to follow after recording another bright outing in the right wing-back berth; the position they find themselves battling for heading into the final two games.

The previous two fixtures saw Murphy score goals he wouldn’t have even attempted in the first few months of his time in South Yorkshire, and chosen ahead of the likes of Jordan Rhodes and Atdhe Nuhiu to offer the Owls’ primary goal threat, he adapted nicely when picking the ball up in space in a more central position.

But ultimately his side were too deep and too direct for him to affect the flow of the game. Alessio Da Cruz’s introduction offered them more physicality, more presence, and on a night they seemed to go more direct that what came before, he opened things up a touch.

As the night grew colder it became more and more obvious that one goal, just one goal, would be enough to give either side three priceless points.

Frazier Campbell wasted a huge chance for Huddersfield to take the lead with 10 to go and with the away side daring to dive onto the front foot the match opened up further.

If this Wednesday side has been tagged as uncaring and lacking drive in weeks and months gone by, if their 2020 capitulations have been put down to attitude above all else, then that’s an image they are slowly ridding themselves of with every passing game.

Monk has said so himself, that he’s seen a drive and desire that had gone out in their pre-break efforts, and the sight of Barry Bannan charging down a lost cause 40 metres to put pressure on Harry Toffolo was perhaps proof of that.

The Scot has played more minutes than most and while the killer touch the Owls so regularly rely on was missing, the desire clearly wasn’t. It was a display that summed up the Owls’ evening, huffing and puffing, but lacking in the sort of quality that got them that 3-0 win in London a few days ago.

Two games left then for Sheffield Wednesday in a season that seems to have latest an age for a myriad of reasons. Quite how those men in suits affect what’s needed in those games we wait on baited breath.

Whatever happens, there won’t be a DVD made of that one.

Sheffield Wednesday (3-5-2); Wildsmith; Iorfa, Lees, Börner; Odubajo, Hunt (Pelupessy 59), Bannan, Luongo (Reach 71), Harris; Murphy (Da Cruz 59), Windass (Nuhiu 71)

Subs unused; Dawson, Brennan, Rhodes, Hughes, Shaw

Huddersfield Town; Lössl, Toffolo, Hogg, Chalobah, Kachunga (Willock 70), Stearman, Grant, Mounie (Campbell 78), Schindler, Smith-Rowe, O’Brien

Subs; Coleman, Bacuna, Willock, Pritchard, Campbell, Quaner, Stankovic, King, Duhaney

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