A sense of loss in Sheffield Wednesday's rise to parity after Swansea City draw

In some ways, they only have themselves to blame. Swansea were average. Chances came and chances were spurned. Encouraging though huge portions of the performance were, Wednesday will hope that it isn't an afternoon they look back on with anguish.

There's little point beating around the bush, the first half was, for the neutral, a stinker. But stare hard enough and there was beauty in the stoicism.

For large periods Swansea had the ball on the left. Then they had it on the right. For a long time they had it in the middle. They pushed the ball around, trying to tempt Wednesday into a false move that would open up space for them to exploit. The Owls held firm. Left, middle, right. Middle for a bit, then right. Will Vaulks bundled one wide, then Swansea had the ball for a bit. We're not sure where. By that stage, in truth, we weren't really watching.

But we should have been. While it wasn't the tub-thumping football spectacle some would have preferred, it was a perfect, hard-working display of hold-and-advance football. Groans from the crowd at perceived passiveness were misplaced as Wednesday allowed the Swans the ball. The Owls were masterful in their stoicism; needling, guarding their space. For all the Swans' oceans of possession, it was calm waters in the home penalty area and save for a double-fisted James Beadle beat-away, Swansea got nothing.

Wednesday's reward came on 41 minutes. Vaulks' free-kick hung in the air invitingly, perfectly perched. Bambo Diaby failed to wrestle off his marker but got a vital touch and as the ball fell to Bailey Cadamarteri there was work still to do. Three months on from his last league goal, he did the business. Remarkably, it was one of seven Wednesday shots in which they had had just 21 per cent possession. Swansea had had one. As his players walked off the pitch, you'd have forgiven Danny Röhl for breaking into a movie villain's evil laugh such was the dastardly nature of their well-executed plot.

The scores elsewhere were bursting with possibility. Live tables lifted the Owls out of the bottom three for the first time since the beer gardens were still doing trade. But with focus pressed on matter Wednesday, what soon became clear was that the second period would be little like the first.

It was open, at times expansive. The visitors moved the ball with more zip and Wednesday were able to step out with more regularity. Both sides had their moments but the Owls had all the momentum, Swansea under the cosh. Ihiekwe couldn't get the requisite purchase on a header, Gassama curled wide. Ike Ugbo smashed the crossbar with a shot harder than a Glasgow doorman and one-way traffic only seemed to be pointing towards a blue and white Friday night. But 1-0 it remained.

That was until fate played its cruel tricks and slapped the Owls with their own dose of disturbance. Set pieces have been areas they've be keen to improve all season long and quite how Jamal Lowe found himself three yards out in quite so much space probably isn't as much as a concern as their failure to get the ball clear.

They rallied. The crowd played its part. In the final half-hour of the 1-1 draw, Hillsborough felt like the ground of a club fighting for plenty. Pol Valentin may well close his eyes tonight unable to rid himself of the chance he spurned late on and there were further moments in which they could have claimed a goal that would have blown the roof off. Marvin Johnson had a couple of good chances. Wednesday had only 31 per cent possession but all the best moments, key men rotated on the day in a peek towards Monday's trip up the Riverside.

Alas. That 1-1 draw claws yet another point on the safety spots - they're now level with both Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City in 22nd and 21st place - and yet it feels like two points fell through their fingers. It's operation 'pick up' once more as wagons roll to Middlesbrough. It's another cup final.