Same old Wednesday... - Sheffield Wednesday throw away points in all-too-familiar AFC Wimbledon collapse

Lee Gregory scored twice for Sheffield Wednesday, but it wasn't enough to claim three points against AFC Wimbledon.

It all started so well… They were ahead by the 13th minute, and playing well in the 3-5-2 formation laid out by Darren Moore.

After receiving the ball from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, the Owls skipper masterfully found Gregory, whose first touch beautifully found space for himself and he swept it past Nik Tzanev – low and hard into the far corner of the net. Wednesday were ahead.

The rest of the first half saw both teams have decent spells, but it was Wednesday who asked the more serious questions going forward, with Tzanev saving a strong effort from Callum Paterson and a tamer header from Lewis Wing.

There were no changes at the break, and Wednesday came out strong. They maintained the high work rate they’d shown in the first half, and were rewarded on the hour mark as Wing won a penalty, that the Owls’ number nine stepped up to calmly slot home. Three in two games for him now.

It nearly got better five minutes later after Bannan slotted a lovely ball through to Dele-Bashiru, but his touch just got away from him and was dealt with by Tzanev. Then Wing blazed over when he should have probably scored, and they were made to pay for it.

Nesta Guinness-Walker was in the right place after Wildsmith saved well from a strike inside the box, and rifled home to halve Wednesday’s lead – it lifted the home fans’ spirits, and the visitors were under pressure.

If it wasn’t for Tzanev, their optimism would have been short-lived, though. The stopped pulled off two great saves to keep out Saido Berahino – who’d just come on for FDB – and then deny Gregory his hattrick.

And in true Wednesday fashion, those missed chances came back to bite them as Jack Rudoni bundled home in 85th minute. Sadly it’ll have come as no surprise to long-suffering Wednesdayites.

It could have been worse as the Wombles pressed on, and the result did leave the Owls just a point from the Play-Offs, but in many ways it felt like a defeat. Sad, but so predictable.