Sheffield Wednesday: Barry Bannan on the alarming statistic that is costing Owls vital points

Barry Bannan consoles Fernado Forestieri after an Owls chance goes begging

There are only two, in fact, and they’re busy propping-up the division; basement duo Stoke City and Barnsley.

The Owls, for all their creative effort in recent weeks, score only 13 per cent of their chances, a stat only marginally better than those of their relegation-favourite rivals – Stoke put away 12 per cent, Barnsley just 11.

A host of chances came and went in the first-half of their heartbreaking late defeat to Swansea on Saturday and they struck the woodwork three times.

And Wednesday’s lack of cutting edge is a reality not lost on creative midfielder Barry Bannan, who admitted his team need to find a way of being more clinical in front of goal if they are to achieve anything like their potential.

Speaking after Swansea’s last-gasp equaliser, the little Scot said: “We should have put the game beyond doubt really, we had enough chances to be miles ahead.

“That’s what happens in football, if you don’t take your chances you get punished. We were punished today.

“When you’re sitting on a one-goal lead it’s not comfortable and in this league teams are going to have spells in a game. They didn’t even have those spells, it was just two set plays that cost us.”

Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan admits his team need to be more able to put teams to bed by converting their chances

Questions have been asked over the team’s reliance on Bannan’s countryman Steven Fletcher in the goalscoring stakes. Fletcher is now six games without a goal, having struck the woodwork in each of the last three games.

Bannan, who has created 31 chances for his side this season, admitted the team have been lucky at times but said there should be no excuses as they bid to up their game after the international break.

“We had hit the post and had chances cleared off the line,” he said. “On another day we could have been 3-0 up.

“They took their chance, fair play to them, but we came in the second half, kept going, and got our reward by going 2-1 up, which we probably deserved.

“But to concede in the last minute feels like we have lost the game. You forget you have drawn 2-2, you just feel like you have lost the game.”