Sheffield Wednesday 2-2 Millwall: FLW report as spoils shared at Hillsborough | OneFootball

Football League World reports as Sheffield Wednesday draw 2-2 with Millwall

Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall played out a 2-2 draw at Hillsborough on Saturday afternoon with Wednesday forward Ike Ugbo missing a penalty on 42 minutes.

The Lions thought they had completed an impressive comeback inside the final 10 minutes, when Ryan Wintle's effort got the better of James Beadle, to put the London side 2-1 up, but it was Wednesday who had the last say when Gabriel Otegbayo equalised just two minutes later.

Sheffield Wednesday 2-2 Millwall: All the action as Owls youngster rescues point

The Lions travelled to Hillsborough in search of their first win since Alex Neil was appointed as boss in late December, having previously defeated the Owls on home turf under former manager Neil Harris last August.

However, it was the hosts who came out of the blocks with attacking intent, and showed why they have managed to climb up the Championship table to within a whisker of the play-off places in recent weeks.

The Owls got their noses in front after just six minutes, when Anthony Musaba's cross found full-back Valery, who made no mistake on the half-volley, and lashed the ball home past a helpless Lukas Jensen in the Lions goal.

Neil's men initially responded well to that setback, though, and forced Wednesday keeper Beadle into making a double save from a corner, as he denied Japhet Tanganga's header, followed by Casper De Norre's follow-up effort.

Mihailo Ivanovic was the next to try his luck for the Den outfit, as he went for goal from the edge of the area, but saw his effort whistle wide of the post.

After Ivanovic's attempt, it was the Owls who clawed themselves back into the ascendancy, as both Musaba and Djeidi Gassama caused problems for the Lions out wide.

In the 23rd minute, Rohl's side came agonisingly close to doubling their lead, as midfielder Shea Charles tried his luck from range, but saw his shot fly just over the bar.

Just over 10 minutes later, Ugbo powered his way into the penalty area, and found himself one-on-one with Jensen, however he was unable to direct his effort on target.

Wednesday maintained their positive momentum though, and were awarded a penalty on 41 minutes, when Musaba was dragged down inside the area.

Ugbo missed his golden opportunity to score his first goal of the season though, and fired his penalty well over the crossbar, and towards the travelling Millwall supporters.

The former Cardiff City man's miss meant that the Owls went into the half-time interval as 1-0 leaders, but would have been disappointed that they didn't score more.

Rohl's men also passed up key chances to double their lead when Barry Bannan's shot hammered against the post, just seconds after his teammate Gassama had also struck the woodwork.

Wednesday's regrets would come back to haunt them too, as George Honeyman scored an equaliser for the Lions in the 63rd minute, as he slotted the ball past Beadle, and into the bottom corner.

Previously, Ivanovic had missed a golden opportunity to tuck home the Lions' leveller, after Tanganga nodded the ball across the face of goal following a set-piece.

George Saville made the most of the indirect free kick the Lions were awarded by referee Robert Jones, as the Owls' Josh Windass failed to clear the midfielder's cross into the area.

Consequently, the ball found its way to Honeyman, who duly obliged and successfully put Neil's side back on to level terms in South Yorkshire.

The visitors then found the lead in the 83rd minute, as Beadle got a hand to Wintle's powerful effort from outside the box, but it wasn't enough to stop the effort.

Having put their noses in front so late on, the Lions will have fancied their chances of finding their first win of Neil's tenure, but they were swiftly denied what would have been a hard-fought three points.

Wednesday substitute Otegbayo scored the Owls' equaliser on 85 minutes, after the visitors failed to clear fellow second-half sub Pol Valentin's cross from the right-hand side.

Both sets of supporters will feel as though their club could have claimed all three points, but perhaps it is the Hillsborough faithful who will have the greatest regrets due to Ugbo's penalty miss.

Alex Neil's reaction as Millwall draw 2-2 at Hillsborough

Following his first away game in charge of the Lions, which turned out to be a four-goal thriller, Neil told the press: "We didn't want it to be a frantic game.

"I watched the game at The Den, last time we played Sheffield Wednesday, and we made it a stop-start game, a sort of powerful, play around the second ball type of game.

"That wasn't what it was (on Saturday), it was sort of end-to-end, and it didn't suit us particularly in the first half.

"I thought we tried to open the pitch up, we started to play passes, which arguably made them more dangerous than it made us.

"So, first half, really, going in at 1-0 (down), we were delighted that it was only 1-0.

"That was a discussion point, really, and the fact that we've now got a great opportunity in the second half to go and be better, and go and give ourselves a chance of picking up some points, so all credit to the lads.

"I thought they rallied, I thought they fought, and they scrapped, and they did their little bits, and we showed quality when we needed to for the two goals.

"George Honeyman's first touch is brilliant, his finish is excellent, and then Wintle's strike at the edge of the box to put us in the lead.

"I think the only frustration that I've got is, really, that we don't see it out at that point."

Danny Rohl reacts as Sheffield Wednesday draw with Millwall

After seeing his side surrender a 1-0 half-time lead, Rohl said: "I think I'm a little bit down after the game, I'm very happy with the offensive stuff today.

"I think we created a lot of chances a team who is normally very well organised.

"They've conceded just 10 or 11 goals since October.

"It's a good organised team, to have so many opportunities to score more is great to see, but then we come to the other part, and this is, of course, disappointing again, to have conceded two goals.

"The first one is the easy one, from 60 metres, a free-kick goes through the box, the second one we don't cover the cut-back.

"There's other small things, then, in the end, yeah, you take the point, but it feels, when we look to the full game, more, disappointed than happy.

"I think there was so much more in it for us today, but it's football and it is (the) Championship.

"If you've not got the clean-sheets, then you are always in trouble."

Sheffield Wednesday vs Millwall Attendance

Saturday afternoon's attendance at Hillsborough was 25,208.