Steels 2-2 Sheffield Wednesday XI
Stocksbridge Park Steels earned a very creditable 2-2 draw against Sheffield Wednesday.
The Owls took the lead just before the end of the first half when Josh Ashman headed in from a corner. Stocksbridge equalised in the second half when Ross Goodwin headed in from a corner himself. Sheffield Wednesday restored the lead through one of their trialists but a howler from Jack Hall in the Wednesday net allowed a shot from Kenan McKenzie-Grey to equalise late on.
Stocksbridge got off to the better start in this game. After the game began with some end-to-end action, the Steels looked to take the initiative and got an early corner. The corner was whipped in well and evaded the entire Owls defence and Elliot Murray was able to peel off his marker. He couldn’t get his head onto the set piece and the game remained scoreless.
As the first half continued, Sheffield Wednesday were able to build into the game and take control. They looked lively and the main aim was to get the ball to Bailey Cadamarteri, a striker who has been tracked by the likes of West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion. For the most part, he was kept quiet by Murray but he did show his talent by breaking free of him in the box. He opened his ball up well as he went one-on-one with Harrison Davison-Hale but the keeper saved the curling finish well.
Sheffield Wednesday did get their goal though and disappointingly for Stocksbridge, it was from a corner. The ball was whipped in and Ashman was able to head it in at the far post to give the Owls the lead going into half time.
In the second half, the Steels looked to get back into the game. And that’s exactly what they did with a corner of their own. Stocksbridge struggled from corners last season, only scoring once from this type of set piece. However this time, Goodwin powered through the defence and headed in to equalise.
Stocksbridge did look like the better of the two sides in the second half and the lively duo of McKenzie-Grey and the trialist were causing plenty of problems for Wednesday’s three man defence. Their constant pressure meant the young professionals struggled to get the ball away from their own area. This did frustrate Wednesday a bit. McKenzie-Grey went in late on goalkeeper Hall when he dallied on the ball and this provoked the youngster into a big reaction. This could have got him sent off in a competitive game but this time he was let off.
While Stocksbridge were having more of the ball and were causing trouble for the Wednesday defence, the Owls still looked dangerous. This was mostly through Leojo Davidson whose pace caused a lot of problems for Stocksbridge. He went on one pacey run which still has the Stocksbridge players trying to tackle him before he flashed a shot just wide.
It was against the run of play but Sheffield Wednesday were able to retake the lead. A midfield error gave the ball away in a dangerous area and the trialist for Wednesday was able to latch onto it, move into the box and eventually get his feet right in the box before poking it home.
Stocksbridge immediately got back on the ball as they looked for what would be a deserved equaliser. They did get one even though some luck was involved. A trialist’s cross was collected on the opposite side of the box by Clarke Greaves who laid the ball off for McKenzie-Grey. He took a shot and Hall should have been able to hold onto the ball as it was just above his head. But he appeared to palm it in himself to give Stocksbridge a great draw against Sheffield Wednesday.
