Party-pooping Sheffield Wednesday put Coventry City's champagne on ice - but the Sky Blues are inspiration
Sheffield Wednesday set a new unwanted record against Coventry City, but after a remarkable performance in today's 0-0 draw, that's not really the big story.
A total of 89 points separated the two teams going into today’s game - it was the biggest gap between teams in the history of the Football League… So to say that the home side were favourites would be a bit of an understatement.
Victory, alongside dropped points elsewhere, would’ve secured their long-awaited Premier League return, but the sheer bloody-mindedness of their opponents means that their champagne remains on ice for a little while longer. Wednesday are the first team in the history of the EFL to go 37 games without a win, but the only feeling that supporters should feel today is pride.
The first half didn’t offer much to write home about. The stands were loud, the sun was out, and Coventry had as much of the ball as you’d expect them to have.
The Owls held their own, though. Henrik Pedersen’s men had some tidy moments, they held their organisation in defence, and even forged a couple of chances of their own. Svante Ingelsson was in the thick of it again, clearing off the line before being booked for what looked like a perfect sliding tackle, but neither Pierce Charles nor Carl Rushworth were forced into a proper save.
Everything plus the Kitching sink
Half-time arrived, and Pedersen will have been delighted with how his side had performed. In the middle, Nathaniel Chalobah had looked composed once more, and there were no changes at the break as the Dane looked for more of the same. The big question, as always, was how long they could hold out.
Liam Palmer, making his 505th appearance for the club, led by example as he got up and down the field for the cause, but there was no lack of effort from any of the Owls out there. With five minutes of the second stanza gone, Heskey whipped a brilliant cross into the box that Jerry Yates got on the end of, but he was unlucky as his close-range effort missed the mark.
Chalobah threw himself into tackles, showing no signs of a player who has been so desperately unfortunate with injuries, and Yates chased everything. One such chase resulted in a booking for dissent, the Luton Town loanee left frustrated after a foul was given against him.
The first Wednesday change saw Ingelsson replaced by Olaf Kobacki, moments after the Swede fired a chance over the Coventry bar. Whether it was due to an empty tank or the fact that he was managing his earlier yellow, Ingelsson had run his race.
Not long afterwards it was Chalobah who made way, with Marvelous Nakamba coming on for a rare appearance. The former had put in another strong display, but this felt like a case of not pushing him too far as he continues to work his way back to full fitness.
Inevitably, the screw did start to turn as the game drew to a close. Lampard brought on millions of pounds worth of talent from the bench, and Coventry set up camp in the Wednesday half. In their way, though, was a staunch Wednesday backline led by a magnificent defence display from Max Lowe. He was throwing anything and everything in front of the ball to keep the hosts out.
Charles was booked for time-wasting, ‘Olé’ rang out from the away end with every completed pass, and Lampard prepared to throw on the kitchen sink. Tayo Adaramola maybe got away with a handball in the box, before threatening at the other end with some good footwork. Josh Eccles, meanwhile, was inches away from giving Coventry the lead with a great header late one, and Victor Torp couldn’t connect with a brilliant cross into the box.
With minutes left to play, Adaramola went down in the Wednesday box. A scuffle ensued as the Owls’ medics tried to get on to treat him, but he ultimately couldn’t continue. Cole McGhee took his place.
Ellis Simms saw an overhead kick blocked by Palmer and clip the post as the home side chased a winner, but it wasn’t to be. A roar went up from the away end as Matthew Donohue blew for the final time, and there would be no promotion celebrations today. Against all odds, the Owls had grabbed another point… -4.
Coventry could prove to be inspiration
Almost exactly nine years ago, Coventry were held to a 1-1 draw at home against Charlton Athletic. It was a result that saw their relegation into League Two confirmed, and their fans were staring the fourth tier of English football straight in the face after they dropped out of the Premier League. Their fall from the top-flight came one year after Wednesday’s.
Of all the teams that have played in the Premier League since it was formed, only Barnsley, Oldham Athletic and Swindon Town have spent longer outside of it than the Owls have. Coventry weren’t far behind him, and their soon-to-be-confirmed return to the Promised Land should be signal to Wednesdayites that you can come back from the brink.
The Sky Blues were forced to groundshare with Northampton Town at one point, and Birmingham City at another. There have been protests, and bad ownership, and points deductions, and general misery, but that’s all set to be behind them now…
Though they didn’t completed the job today, Lampard’s men will play amongst England’s elite in 2026/27 - and while this afternoon’s away fans can’t relate to the current feeling at the CBS, they can certainly relate to what they’ve been through over the last decade.
Wednesday began their road to recovery when Dejphon Chansiri was ousted - the hope now that is David Storch and Arise can be their Doug King. Recovery can’t happen overnight, but Coventry have shown that it can definitely be achieved.
These two teams have trodden similar paths over the last quarter of a century… With City’s pending promotion this season, Owls fans will be hoping that the trend continues.
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