Blades first Championship team to fail to score against Owls
Sheffield Wednesday stood firm against an expected front-foot performance from Sheffield United in the Steel City Derby at Bramall Lane on Friday evening.
The Owls recorded their first clean sheet of the season in the league - at the 17th time of asking to come away with a 0-0 draw. The home side dominated the ball but the Owls managed to keep their hosts at bay with the five at the back formation proving effective, though it did mean that Wednesday offered very little in terms of an attacking threat.
Cameron Dawson was the hero for the visitors, having made a comfortable save early on from a long-range Fleck strike, the definitive moment of the match came in the 15th minute when Duffy went down easily under a challenge from Fox. It seemed as though Duffy tripped himself up as much as being hauled down but the referee awarded the penalty and McGoldrick step up looking to convert his 4th successful penalty of the season. The striker struck the spot kick well, low and towards Dawson's left-hand corner but the big keeper was equal to it, diving full stretch to tip the strike round the post.
United continued to press forward but could not create a clear opening before half-time and Wednesday would have been happy to hear the whistle for the break having defended tirelessly for much of the opening 45 minutes.
The second half followed much the same pattern with United on the front foot but despite spending most of the game in the Wednesday half they hardly forced Dawson into anything more than routine saves.
Wednesday had some rare joy late on, winning a couple of corners and seeing a drive from substitute Marco Matias strike Basham in the face while at the other end, as the clock ticked down Sharp headed wide from a corner and Norwood saw his free-kick comfortably saved by Dawson in the last minute of time added on.
The home side will certainly see this as two points dropped on the balance of play while Wednesday will be thankful to go into the international break having ended a run of four successive defeats by keeping their first clean sheet of the season at the home of their local rivals.