Tony Pulis fires at 'completely and utterly ridiculous' Sheffield Wednesday trait after Blackburn Rovers draw

Adam Reach’s 41st-minute wonder strike was the only real highlight in a first half that saw Wednesday kill the threat of the free-scoring hosts.

But as time went on the Owls tired and lacklustre defending allowed Rovers man Joe Rothwell to shimmy into their box unopposed to equalise deep into the second half.

The point took Pulis’ men to within three points of the Championship safety zone after a 96th-minute Alan Browne winner for Preston at Derby turned the Owls’ result into a point gained.

Speaking after the match, Pulis said: “Ever since I’ve come into the football club, the players have given everything that they’ve got. They worked really hard today against a good Blackburn team, who have got some good players and are always a threat.

“They play very open, very expansive and overall you’re pleased to take a point, you’d have taken a point before the game.

“But that’s the fifth time this year, and I’ve only been here 11 games, five times we’ve been winning and not seen it out.

“That’s a real concern in lots of ways really because we’ve had chances at the other end to make it two, and that ends the game.”

The nature of Blackburn’s equaliser angered Pulis, who remonstrated with his players in the moments after the 76th-minute strike.

Red-hot forward Adam Armstrong later hit the post for the hosts.

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow, we’ll analyse it,” Pulis said. “That’s twice now, it happened against Norwich, people backed off. Round the edge of the box people have to get around the ball and squeeze it. They’ve got to be brave in their decision making to get to the ball.

“He’s in the box when he side-foots it in, which is completely and utterly ridiculous in some ways.

“But that said, apart from them hitting the post from a hopeful ball into the box, I thought we handled them well and Westy didn’t have a lot to do."

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