Barry has Owls flying.. but trouble lurks
Ref: Tony Harrington Att: 23,180
Bannan
BARRY BANNAN topped a man-of-the-match showing with the controversial spotkick that lifted Garry Monk’s in-form Owls into third.
The win over slumping Bristol City maintained Sheffield Wednesday’s unlikely promotion charge.
There is still uncertainty over the Owls’ fate, with the Football League having charged them with an alleged breach of their profitability and sustainability rules. It could lead to a points deduction.
Monk said: “Of course we’re aware of it and I spoke to the players on the first day it came out. I have experience at Birmingham of dealing with that type of thing and it doesn’t stop us training every day as hard as we can, wanting to win matches, and trying to win matches. “They’re human beings and they’re going to hear things, but I’ve kept it very open. We can only control what we can control and that’s the football.”
But the mood could not be more buoyant at Hillsborough after a dramatic win, secured after Tommy Rowe was judged to have wrestled Atdhe Nuhiu to the ground as he left the area five minutes from time. City keeper Daniel Bentley was booked for trying to put Bannan off, but the Scotland international made no mistake, rolling a cool penalty into the bottom, left-hand corner.
City boss Lee Johnson said: “It was definitely not a pen. The referee’s got sucked into it, really.
Arguably, it’s not even in the box, but it was just a coming together with the ball spinning away. That’s what’s disappointing. If we had got a point, that would have been something to build on.”
The two play-off hopefuls cancelled each other out for most of the contest (City’s Famara Diedhiou, left). But the hosts grew stronger as the game wore on, with Bannan ever influential.
On 67 minutes, his volley, after a run and cross from Kadeem Harris, was headed away by Tomas Kalas.
And a couple of minutes before his goal, Bannan unleashed a brilliant free-kick from the edge of the area, which Bentley did well to keep out.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY:
BRISTOL CITY:
MOTM
BARRY BANNAN (SHEFF WED)
GILLINGHAM
MK DONS
ALEX GILBEY says MK Dons need a Plan B if they are to get out of the drop zone.
The midfielder got on the scoresheet, but goals for Mikael Mandron, Brandon Hanlan and Max Ehmer won it for Gillingham.
Gilbey moaned: “We became too predictable.”
And Gills boss Steve Evans said: “At halftime we’re unlucky that it’s not four or five.”
BRISTOL ROV 3
0
PETERBOROUGH 0 1
LIAM SERCOMBE was pleased Rovers ended an odd week with a point.
Boss Graham Coughlan left to take over at Mansfield on Tuesday, with Kevin Maher put in temporary charge. Midfielder Sercombe said: “It’s been strange because it’s all come out of the blue.”
Posh went second but boss Darren Ferguson said: “I’m never overly happy with a draw.”
DONCASTER
ACCRINGTON
TOM ANDERSON says Doncaster deserved all three points... not one.
Jon Taylor’s strike was cancelled out by a controversial equaliser from Accrington sub Offrande Zanzala.
Defender Anderson said: “We did enough to win. Their goal’s offside.”
Stanley boss John Coleman moaned: “We’ve had our customary penalty turned down again.”
ROTHERHAM
FLEETWOOD
2 2
1 1
CHED EVANS was both pleased and disappointed to draw with the Millers.
The striker scored both Fleetwood goals but saw them cancelled out in turn by Freddie Ladapo and Matt Crooks.
He said: “It was disappointing in the fact that we were leading twice and conceded, but it is a pleasing point.”
Millers boss Paul Warne said: “Credit to the lads for battling.”