Darren's debut ends dismally at Hillsborough
Darren Moore's debut game as Sheffield Wednesday manager ended in defeat on Wednesday evening as near neighbours and relegation rivals Rotherham United snatched a 2-1 win in the last minute of stoppage time at Hillsborough.
Wednesday started the crucial clash between the Championship strugglers well and could easily have taken the lead twice in the opening 10 minutes. First a Bannan corner found its way to Hutchinson whose close range header was tipped around the post by Johansson in the visitors goal and the resulting corner picked out Paterson whose stooping header went just wide with the keeper beaten.
The Owls spurned more good openings, Bannan ballooning into the Kop after good work from Shaw and Paterson failing to control when well placed after a neat move involving Bannan and Palmer. The home side were made to pay for their missed opportunities on 17 minutes when Penney afforded Jozefzoon far too much time to cross from the Owls left side and Smith was left free in the box to plant an accurate downward header into the corner of Wildsmith's goal.
Moore's men continued to create chances, a fine ball from Borner sent Paterson in on goal but having controlled the ball well the Scotland international struck a poor shot wide with the goal at his mercy after Johansson has slipped. Wednesday almost found themselves 2 down as half time approached when Lewis Wing struck a low shot from the edge of the penalty area which struck the base of the post.
Wednesday continued to create chances at the start if the second half, Paterson shooting wide from the edge of the area and Reach firing just over the bar from inside the penalty box.
Just as the game was seemingly starting to drift away from an increasingly frustrated home side they were handed a lifeline with 23 minutes to go. Borner and Smith hit the deck in a tussle and the Rotherham goalscorer seemingly aimed a headbutt at the chest of the Owls defender as they got to their feet, earning himself a red card from the referee.
Johansson produced a smart instinctive save at his near post to deny Paterson from close range and another to keep out a Shaw strike inside the last 15 minutes and with 8 minutes to go the Owls made it 1-1 with a very foruntate goal. Shaw's ball into the box picked out Penney but his heavy touch gave Johansson the chance to come out and block, as he did so the ball rebounded off Millers defender Olosunde and trickled into the empty goal.
Sensing the chance for a much needed 3 points Moore sent on Marriott and Rhodes for the last 5 minutes. The Owls had a great chance to take the lead as the game entered 6 minutes of stoppage time, Paterson heading over a fine cross from Penney when he should really have hit the target.
The home side thought they would have one last chance as they won a corner in the final minute but it was the Millers who would win the game in dramatic fashion. Izzy Brown's woeful set piece was cleared at the near post and the visitors broke at pace. Ladapo cut inside Harris and hit a fine strike across Wildsmith from the edge of the penalty area to take the points.
Wednesday have now lost 5 matches in succession and are 7 points adrift of Championship safety with just 13 games remaining. They travel to promotion chasing Reading on Saturday.