Wanderers suffered a 1-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the Sky Bet Championship on Tuesday evening, with a Tom Lees header in the second half the difference maker in this clash.
Team News
Phil Parkinson made two changes from the starting eleven that lined up against MIillwall.
Jack Hobbs replaced David Wheater at the back, with Will Buckley dropping out for Yanic Wlidschut.
First Half
Adam Reach played in Marco Matias just after the tenth minute, but his effort was blocked by a diving Marc Wilson before Mark Beevers cleared the danger.
Sammy Ameobi reacted with a chance for Wanderers on 16 minutes, with a 25 yard powerful drive at goal that saw Cameron Dawson produce a diving save to his left.
Reach wormed his way down that right flank shortly after, creating space to put a cross into the area to find Steven Fletcher.
Wednesday’s number nine couldn’t get the ball out of his feet and thus put his effort wide.
Barry Bannan had a speculative effort from all of 30 yards deflected for a corner, which was then resolutely defended by the Wanderers defence.
Ameobi was at it again with four minutes to go, as a deflected left-footed effort had Dawson scrambling to turn it behind his goal.
Second Half
Following the restart and Reach went close for the home side, as his looping effort sailed just wide of Alnwick’s post.
Owls’ captain Tom Lees put the home side in the lead on 57 minutes.
A drilled corner into the Whites penalty area from Joey Pelupessy found Tom Lees who nodded home from close distance.
Just past the hour mark and shouts went up from Phil Parkinson’s men as Yanic Wildschut went down in the box seemingly being impeded, however the referee waved away the protests.
Ameobi flew a shot in from distance shortly after, with his powerfully struck effort flying inches over the crossbar.
Just over 15 minutes to go and Wednesday had another effort as Nuhiu won back possession on the right flank to find former Wanderers midfielder Barry Bannan on the edge of the box.
The Scotsman tried to curl his shot into the far left corner but couldn’t produce as the result flew wide of the mark.
Wanderers responded with a chance of their own with 12 minutes to play.
Link-up play between second half substitutes Christian Doidge and Clayton Donaldson saw the latter through on goal.
Unfortunately for the Jamaican international, he miscued his effort as it went wide of Dawson’s net.
Joe Williams nearly had Wanderers equaliser with seven minutes to play, as the ball ricocheted to the Everton loanee on the 18-yard-box.
He set himself and fired goalward but put too much on it, as the effort was sent wide of Wednesday’s goal.
Second half sub Lucas Joao nearly had the Owls’ second shortly after entering the game as Reach played in the Portuguese winger, but pressure from Will Buckley saw him send his effort far over the bar.
With two minutes of regular time to play and Wednesday pressed for their second.
A free-kick rebounded out to Reach for the home side, but his effort could only find Wanderers side netting.
Full Time
Wanderers XI: Alnwick (C), Taylor, Lowe, Beevers, Ameobi, Hobbs, Olkowski (Donaldson 68), Wilson (Buckley 83), J. Williams, Magennis (Doidge 68), Wildschut.
Unused substitutes: Matthews, Vela, Grounds, Wheater.