Wycombe grind out a point after a siege-like performance from Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday probed the Wanderers goal throughout the 90 minutes of play, but failed to secure all three points amidst the blistery conditions.

The hosts made four changes from their late turnaround victory in the week against MK Dons with Josh Windass and Massimo Luongo receiving the call-up after fine midweek performances.

Gareth Ainsworth elected just the one change with Garath McCleary making his first start in eight games following a spell on the sidelines. Joe Jacobson was dropped to the bench as the Chairboys opted for a back four.

Despite on-going fears that the game may not have gone ahead, much to the mayhem caused by Storm Arwen, Darren Moore was hopeful of extending the Owls’ unbeaten run to 10 league games. The Buckinghamshire outfit were not to be scared of the challenge, fresh off a 3-0 dismantling of Plymouth at Home Park and unbeaten in their last five away outings.

Wednesday’s early effort signified the pressure that David Stockdale would come under all game, the visiting 886 Wycombe fans hoped that his hands were more up to the task than theirs. Olamide Shodipo’s cross was tipped up by Stockdale and Florian Kamberi’s resulting effort was well-saved.

Against the Wednesday onslaught, Wycombe’s ex-Reading contingent combined for the opener. Jordan Obita back heeled to the overlapping McCleary who was keen to show the fans what they had been missing. Teeing up Anis Mehmeti, fresh off his double at Plymouth, whose shot was directed past Bailey Peacock-Farrell by way of Callum Paterson’s Movember tash.

On the half-hour mark, referee Darren Drysdale was alerted by the thousands in the North Stand to a medical emergency. Play was immediately halted and both sets of players were sent down the tunnel and into the warmth.

10 minutes later play resumed and Wednesday came out hooting. Shodipo continued to cause Jason McCarthy problems lofting one towards Lee Gregory but he would see his header clawed away by Stockdale on the line. Inches would prove to be the difference again as no one could find contact with Jack Hunt’s teasing delivery.

Enjoying one of their rare chances at the Wednesday net, Stockdale’s lumped kick was flicked onto Mehmeti who found Sam Vokes in space beyond the Owls’ backline. Less sprightly than his Premier League days, Vokes took the strike early blasting wide of the mark.

The equaliser finally came nine minutes into first-half added time. Hunt’s delay to take the throw-in had caught the Chairboys dosing with Gregory emerging with the ball off of Anthony Stewart’s stomach. He waited for Stockdale to pounce before laying in Shodipo to finish home his first Sheffield Wednesday goal.

The Owls would repeat the style in which they came back against fellow-Buckinghamshire side MK Dons on Tuesday. Windass made it two in two for the campaign, firing on the edge past an ill-positioned Stockdale.

Similar to the opener, Wycombe found a way back against the run of play. Regular free-kick taker Jacobson was lining the benches at Hillsborough thus stepped forward Obita. On the corner of the box, Obita curled over the wailing hand of Peacock-Farrell and it nestled under the bar into the top corner. Some way to open your Chairboys goal-scoring account.

As they did in fellow top-of-the table clashes against Rotherham and Wigan, Wycombe held on to secure an important point on the road and enter a welcomed 10-day break joint-top of the table in third.

Wednesday fans won’t look back on this meeting as gloriously as their 2012 encounter in front of a bumper 38,000 Hillsborough crowd when they secured promotion back to the Championship, but will be grateful that there phalanges remained intact.

In terms of individual performances, Chey Dunkley was imperious again at the back quelling the battering rams of Vokes and more impressively Adebayo Akinfenwa. Luongo shined on his 50th Owls appearance with Windass and Shodipo a constant threat all afternoon.

For the Chairboys, Tafazolli was at his faultless best and Stockdale smartly dealt with the majority of Wednesday’s efforts. McCleary’s reintroduction was huge and if he can remain fit, Wycombe have a real shot of promotion this season.