After Saturdays 4-1 drubbing, Notts fans were looking for the Bank Holiday fixture to provide three points that would, ultimately, pull them closer to safety.
However, hope of an Easter amnesty was clearly a misapprehension as the Easter weekend saw Notts only squeeze a point from their two games.
Gary Mills’ stance on the whole situation made a complete U-turn after Saturday’s no-show and, as expected, the team was set for a shake-up.
David McGoldrick, after a very impressive couple of weeks in both reserve and youth action, was the man Mills decided was the one to help ease relegation woes as both Steve Scoffham and, a surely frustrated, Matty Williams had to settle for a place among the substitutes.
Paul Bolland, however, was to return to the action after being kept out on the sidelines through injury. Andy Parkinson was drafted onto the left flank after Tony Scully was stretchered off at
The opening stages opened up nicely for rookie striker, McGoldrick as his youthful zeal opened up two early chances for the much sought after schoolboy striker. He had two efforts saved by Kevin Pressman, a man 19 years his senior whose time with Wednesday alone has spanned greater than David McGoldrick himself, within 11 minutes of kick off.
After some early promise from McGoldrick, however, the game turned into a none-too-attractive spectacle with scrappy defending looking commonplace.
Although a Chris Brunt free-kick did provide brief entertainment for the 9,601 supporters although Stuart Garden was not amused as he parried over that speculative effort.
Soon after and Alan Quinn was finding himself the first of the afternoon’s victims of the referee’s book for a pretty shocking tackle on Stefan Oakes in front of the Main Stand – something which went down like a lead balloon with the Notts crowd. However, the caution was not to deter the highly-rated Wednesday man as he went wading in once more: same man, same outcome – a foul.
Notts, by the 32nd minute, had chalked up their fourth corner of the contest and, without the services of the much-loved much-hated Darren Caskey; Notts looked to be doing just fine. Although the final products are still yet to be reaped, you must say that, at times, Notts look like a side who, with much practice, could begin to capitalise on some articulate in swinging Stefan Oakes balls.
David Pipe followed Quinn and Chambers into the book for bringing down Leigh Bromby in pretty emphatic fashion in a pretty innocuous area of the field on the brink of half-time.
Half Time:
Whilst the first half went out pretty much unnoticed, the could not be said for the early stages of the second as Notts came haring out of the changing rooms with the utmost confidence, responding defiantly to those who had written the Magpies off.
Though, on the other hand, there was nothing more defiant about the second half than the defence Wednesday had constructed.
Ian Richardson claiming the first half-chance since the restart as he rose highest to a Stefan Oakes cross to nod just over the cross-bar. Not to outdone, however, Wednesday followed Richo’s lead as the Owls’ Great Dane, Kim Olsen headed narrowly wide of the mark on 53 minutes.
David McGoldrick, making only his second start for Notts County, was soon after replaced he wandered off looking to be troubled with an injury to his leg with Steve Scoffham filling the big man’s gap.
Paul Heffernan, usually an imminent threat for Gary Mills’ men, only managed an, at best, uninspiring performance in the disappointing draw and with his presence little felt, my money would have been on Mills to replace the potentially outbound Irishman with either Scoffham or Williams – luckily for him, McGoldrick looked to be harbouring an injury.
Wednesday again, more in hope than belief, came knocking at County’s door but, without going through it, they went round it. Too far so, in fact, as another Chris Brunt effort tottered wide.
Steve Scoffham, who was rising to the occasion from the bench, provided the County faithful an opportunity to vent their anger through Pressman where, in fairness, Scoffham went charging through, head down, towards a ball which Pressman had full control of – causing a nasty knock for the aging shot-stopper and, in addition, an earful of obscenities from the former Gedling Town hot-shot.
The Meadow Lane crowd suspected gamesmanship and they were judge, jury and executioner leaving Pressman hung out to dry.
Notts continued with their relentless assault on the Wednesday goal, but to no avail as the rigid Owls rear-guard proved a nonnegotiable barrier for Mills’ men.
Mills gave another run out to his Manchester United signing, Matty Williams as he replaced Andy Parkinson on the left channel.
Then, rather stupidly, a mazy Steve Scoffham run was brought to an abrupt end by Alan Quinn, second bookable offence and he was to walk the long walk down the tunnel.
Then, a minute into added on time, the usually ever-reliable Paul Heffernan found himself with the best chance of the game to snatch maximum points, as he was bearing down to see the white’s of Pressman’s eyes. But it was not to be, as Heffernan got dizzy through the heady heights and unleashed a rather tame effort wide of the Wednesday goal, making a sterling mess of a golden opportunity.
Full Time: NOTTS COUNTY 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday
Call this afternoon’s game boring, unproductive or down right frustrating – but one thing is for sure, the match saw Notts lose ground on a survival bid that is, without doubt, slipping out of sight.
Match ratings and reaction to follow…