Bristol City battle back twice to deny Sheffield Wednesday victory

Bristol City twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with fellow Championship play-off contenders Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

Wednesday were dominant before the interval and scored through Djeidi Gassama’s fourth league goal of the season, but Max O’Leary denied him on another occasion to keep the deficit at one heading into half-time.

The visitors cleaned up their act in the second period and Nahki Wells headed home an equaliser but Di’Shon Bernard restored Wednesday’s lead two minutes later.

However, Wednesday were again unable to hang on and were forced to share the spoils courtesy of Ross McCrorie’s late header.

Match Action

Neither team had anything to shout about in the opening quarter but clinical Wednesday had their noses in front with their first real threat.

Josh Windass broke forward and fed a ball out wide for Yan Valery, his lovely low cross was expertly tucked into the far corner by Gassama.

City failed to make an impression in a disappointing first half and the Owls looked to threaten a second – Barry Bannan aimed to bend one in from 25 yards but O’Leary was there to comfortably meet it and make his first save of the game.

The hosts continued to push and some neat link-up play between Bannan and Gassama allowed the latter to get his shot off but he was denied by the outstretched O’Leary who was able to palm wide of the target.

Second Half

Just 36 seconds after the interval, Bannan tried his luck with an audacious effort from 35 yards to see if O’Leary was alert but the City keeper produced an easy save.

The Robins punished their opponents for all their missed chances with their first effort on target in the 53rd minute.

Rob Dickie picked out a wonderful pass to Mark Sykes and he delivered a ball for Wells who headed emphatically beyond Owls keeper James Beadle.

But City were only level for 111 seconds before Wednesday regained the advantage.

Bannan was pulling the strings in midfield and fed a pass into Bernard, who created an opening with some clever footwork and dispatched it into the bottom corner.

City started to enjoy their best spell of the game as they went in search of an equaliser and Luke McNally should have done better to get his free header on target from Max Bird’s corner.

Wednesday sat deeper and paid the price four minutes from time when another Sykes cross caused problems and this time McNally headed back across goal for McCrorie to nod in his first for the club.

And the visitors were millimetres away from snatching all three points as Sam Bell rattled the crossbar in the 90th minute.

READ MORE: Danny Rohl – Sheffield Wednesday’s display not acceptable in the last 30 minutes