Sheffield Wednesday: Stoke City manager calls Barry Bannan 'a magician'

Bannan swept home an incredible late free-kick from 22 yards to make the score 2-2 against Rowett's Stoke City and earn the Owls an unlikely draw.

Rowett's team, a Premier League outfit last term, had overrun Wednesday in the opening stages to lead 2-0 and looked set to claim only their second Championship victory of the season.

But the Potters manager still found time to praise the contribution of Bannan as Wednesday stretched their unbeaten league run to four matches with a stirring comeback that moved them up to ninth in the table.

"We probably created more chances in the second half than we did in the first," Rowett said. "We've got to make them count. 

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"Mame Diouf has to square one to Incey (Tom Ince) and it's a tap-in for 3-1 and we go ahead and win the game. I think we should win that game comfortably.

"As it is, you leave yourself open and Barry Bannan has shown what a little magician he can be at times. There is probably only him on the pitch who can score that."

Marco Matias had grabbed a goal for Jos Luhukay's men in the first half, with Bannan pulling the strings for that strike as well.

"For 30 minutes, we were in full control of the game, causing Sheffield Wednesday lots and lots of problems," Rowett added. "We went 2-0 up and could have been further ahead. 

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"What you don't want to do at the point, when you're so dominant away from home, is give the opposition and the crowd a lift and a lifeline. That's exactly what we did. 

"Barry Bannan on the ball ... what you can't do is allow him to play a ball over the top. They run through and score easily. That was disappointing.

"I think it was two points dropped. I said today was the day we could be finally judged  because the side was close to the one we've been wanting to play for a while."

 

 

 

 

 

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