The X Factor, Moses and Hutch: SIX takes from Sheffield Wednesday's draw at Blackburn

The then-teenager was thrust into the living rooms of millions at the height of the show’s success back in 2008. Bright and breezy, fresh-faced and dynamic, Vickers was exciting to watch week on week, putting an exciting new twist on things and winning the hearts of her adoring public.

Quite the opposite of this Sheffield Wednesday side then, who set up at her town’s football team to be robust, safe, traditional and tough to beat. Effective all the same – a point at Ewood Park is a very good point nowadays – but fairly dour.

Like Vickers, it looked for a while like Wednesday might end up winning the thing. Like Vickers, they didn’t.

With no further shoehorning of a frankly ridiculous intro, let’s take a look at six talking points from Wednesday’s 1-1 draw at Blackburn.

So near, yet..

Having taken the lead through an Adam Reach wonder strike, a familiar tale was told yet again; Sheffield Wednesday gave up a lead.

It’s dogged the club for far longer than the last few weeks and it’s a sign of a soft underbelly at the club.

Now is this a sign that the Owls are too passive, too reliant on the perfect defensive performance to get a win while they fail to score enough goals, or is it a sign that this is a squad low on confidence, low on leadership, low on quality or a combination of all the above?

Whatever it is, it needs to stop.

Adam fine goal..

It’s been a common theme of the Adam Reach conversation over recent months; how much one of his classic goals would do for his confidence and whether it could spark him back into the blistering form that saw him attributed with Premier League interest a couple of seasons back.

Well now we’ll see. Because after signs of swagger slowly crept back into his game over recent weeks, it came. From 35 yards, the former Middlesbrough man smashed it into the top corner to steal a Wednesday goal of the year award that was previously looking a little forlorn.

It was the sort of moment that this style of play requires. While threats are soaked up in defence, an attacking player wins it with something out of nothing. Belter.

He’s been the in-form attacking player in the Pulis mini-era. If his hamstring proves to be serious, well, it would be yet another monster blow.

Go Mo..

Feathers were ruffled with news of the team at two o’clock.

Pulis made the bold but unsurprising call to bring Moses Odubajo back at the first instance after suspension last time out. It meant he would make his first appearance since the high-five fracas.

With supporters in the ground you’d have to imagine an entirely different challenge for Odubajo altogether, but as it happened he was largely excellent.

He has a long, long way to go to regain favour in the eyes of many Wednesday supporters. But as baby steps go, that was surely one.

Josh under the cosh..

Belting around up top with no little energy and enthusiasm, Windass’ performance at Ewood Park was one that should be noted.

At times his frustration was clear and understandable, but his efforts in harrying the Blackburn defence were non-stop, often chasing lost causes.

He’s not built to play hold-up, he’d be the first to admit, and we’ll likely not see the best of him as a goal threat until he’s able to play deeper. But in a side that is setting up deep, his current role is vital.

Wednesday will hope his bruised and battered body can limp through a couple more matches while reinforcements up top are sought.

A good point..

It just is, isn’t it? Wednesday need to win matches to get out of this mess, that’s for sure, but a point at Blackburn is a result.

Derby’s late, late defeat to Preston saw Wednesday’s deficit at the bottom go to three points – though Derby and Rotherham have games in hand – and should results go their way they could find themselves out of the relegation zone for the first time this season come midweek.

What was most impressive for the vast majority of the game was how they frustrated the usually free-scoring Rovers in defence, though that was undone when they gave Joe Rothwell the freedom of Blackburn later on when he equalised.

Back in the Hutch..?

A day that ended with a point at Blackburn started with news that Sam Hutchinson had been released from his contract with Cypriot side FC Pafos amid speculation he would be heading back to Hillsborough in January.

Pulis, who not long ago made clear he felt Wednesday ‘missed’ the former Chelsea man, refused to rule out a move for the former Owls fan favourite after the match.

With the confirmation that fellow holding midfielder Massimo Luongo is likely to be out for the foreseeable, it’s all starting to come together, isn’t it?

Teams

Blackburn: Kaminski, Nyambe, Lenihan, Ayala, Douglas, Holtby (Dack, 62’), Johnson (Downing, 62'), Rothwell, Elliott, Gallagher (Brereton 61'), Armstrong

Subs unused: Chapman, Pears, Bell, Davenport, Buckley, Dolan

Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood, Palmer, Lees, Dunkley, van Aken (Shaw, 69'), Odubajo, Reach (Harris, 82'), Pelupessy, Paterson, Bannan, Windass (Brown, 87')

Subs unused: Wildsmith, Penney, Dele-Bashiru, Rhodes, Hunt, Kachunga

MORE FROM OUR WEDNESDAY WRITING TEAM

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Full extent of Massimo Luongo's injury revealed as Sheffield Wednesday star man faces WEEKS out

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

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