Hillsborough stalemate

Sheffield Wednesday might well be hovering just above the bottom three, but they went into the game with some current form having beaten Preston and Wolves, both play off contenders, in the last two weeks, and have been lifted by their recent loan signings.

Steve Cotterill revealed this week that there could be some tinkering for the rest of the season but there was little Ranieri like about the starting line up, he kept the personnel the same as in Tuesday's draw with Southampton although he switched longest serving player and latest recruit which meant Graham Branch on the right and Alan Mahon on the left of midfield.

It was a quiet opening, and I mean quiet. Thankfully Hillsborough has finally rid itself of the out of tune band that used to give us ‘The Great Escape' in five different keys, all at the same time.

We could have got an early lead following a free kick taken by Mahon. Michael Ricketts got to it but failed to find the target with his head. It proved to be our best chance of the first half, a half when we seemed to get caught offside much too easily and far too often.

At the back we were hardly troubled although Brian Jensen was thankful to see one effort loop over the bar and then he had to deal with a well struck shot down to his left, but overall it was scrappy stuff and neither side deserved to get themselves in front.

We had a booking apiece, Chris McCann's seemed to be for something and nothing but Wednesday's Frankie Simek could have suffered worse than a yellow card for a foul on Phil Bardsley.

The second half looked as though it was going to follow the same pattern but around the hour the Clarets stepped up the pace and in the next few minutes really should have got in front. We created three chances but failed to score from any of them. The first of them fell to Frank Sinclair following a corner from Mahon. Captain Frank got to the ball but couldn't quite hit the target and saw his header go wide. It was a good effort and he was so close to opening his account for the season.

We'd hardly settled down from that when Andy Gray was put clear by James O'Connor and, just as he did on Tuesday, he rounded the keeper to his left and from a tight angle got a shot on goal. This time however a Wednesday defender got back to clear the ball as it headed towards goal.

It was all Burnley now and in the very next attack Mahon got in another great cross. Chris McCann got everything right in getting to the ball and met it well with his head. It was the best chance of the lot but as the away end went up to celebrate the header went inches wide of Scott Carson's left hand post.

The home side, who had already switched formation at half time, made more tactical changes to get back into the game, but despite having a reasonable amount of the possession they never threatened us and Jensen hardly had a difficult moment in the second half, although he did almost get caught out by a headed back pass from Sinclair.

John Spicer came on for Ricketts as we went to a 4-5-1 formation but it hardly mattered, Wednesday had run out of steam and had never suggested they had much in terms of ideas, and we run the clock down with some ease.

For Wednesday, results elsewhere (meaning the result at Millwall) meant a draw was a decent return. For the Clarets it kept the points total moving upwards after the recent horrendous run.

We didn't play particularly well, but we were the better side and with just a bit more luck in front of goal we might well have recorded our first away win in five months. It just wasn't to be.

There were some disappointing individual performances and some good ones, and we needn't look to far from the centre of the defence for the better ones. I would think only Andy Gray challenged the two at the back for the man of the match award. For me, again, it goes to Michael Duff.

He's always claimed to be a central defender, and he's certainly showing that now. I just wish I could have found this afternoon the supporter who sat next to me and the two behind me at Derby for the FA Cup tie, the three of them spent the entire afternoon abusing Duff. I just wonder what they would have to say now.

Finally, referee Graham Laws, and nothing frightening to report today. There were a few strange decisions but nothing too worrying and he even turned down the outrageous Wednesday penalty claim late in the game.

It would have been nice to hit the 50 points total today but it will have to wait a week now.

The teams were,

Sheffield Wednesday: Scott Carson, Frankie Simek, Mikkel Bischoff (Lee Bullen 45), Graham Coughlan, John Hills, Chris Brunt (Leon Best 66), Yoann Folly, Glenn Whelan, Burton O'Brien, Deon Burton (Jon-Paul McGovern 83), Marcus Tudgay. Subs not used: Chris Adamson, Steven MacLean.

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Phil Bardsley, Michael Duff, Frank Sinclair, Jon Harley, Graham Branch, James O'Connor, Chris McCann, Alan Mahon, Michael Ricketts (John Spicer 82), Andy Gray. Subs not used: John McGreal, Micah Hyde, Wade Elliott, Kyle Lafferty.

Referee: Graham Laws (Whitley Bay).

Attendance: 24,485.