Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 QPR: Owls battle back for a point

Sheffield Wednesday got their first point of the new season in front of their own fans but had to endure another frustrating day in a 1-1 draw against a determined QPR at Hillsborough.

Jamie Mackie's opening goal for QPR was cancelled out by Sam Winnall early in the second half.

The first real chance of the game fell to Daniel Pudil for Wednesday in the 12th minute, when Barry Bannan whipped in an inviting in-swinging delivery which landed straight onto the head of Pudil, but he could not direct his header on target.

Wednesday squandered another good chance to take the lead in the18th minute when Gary Hooper's delivery from the right landed onto the head of his strike partner Jordan Rhodes whose header was well held by Alex Smithies.

The opening goal came in the 22nd minute for QPR as Mackie was played in on goal in the left channel by Luke Freeman, Mackie coolly slotting the ball underneath an on charging Keiren Westwood to give the away side the lead.

The Owls got their Championship campaign up and running in the 48th minute as Bannan crossed from the left, QPR captain Nedum Onuoha missed his chance to clear, leaving Winnall free at the back post to smash home an equaliser.

That goal seemed to ignite the hosts into action as a chance to take the lead quickly followed. Bannan again found space inside the QPR box on the left, he picked out Winnall once again at the far post, who should have done better with the whole of the goal to aim at.

From then on, however, the second half lacked quality from both sides. Wednesday consistently resorted to long diagonals, which were comfortably defended by the QPR back-four, and the London side lacked cutting edge on the counter.

QPR should have won it in the 84th minute when front man Connor Washington raced towards goal from the right, then unselfishly squared the ball to substitute Kazenga LuaLua, who shot wide from inside the box.

The managers

Carlos Carvalhal: It was a strange beginning. We miss two players and especially at the beginning of the season it created a negative impact to the team.

"The first half was divided. They scored one goal from their one chance and we had a few chances also. The second half was completely different. We started very well and this is our Sheffield Wednesday. We pressed Queens Park Rangers much more and moved the ball better."

Ian Holloway: "By the end of the game, the little spell they had just after half-time, where we could have wobbled... they caught us with a punch and they could have maybe had another couple, but we came through that and gave a good account of ourselves in the end.

"Thankfully I don't see Jordan Rhodes miss headers like that very often, luckily for me, but my team didn't deserve to lose today. Did we do enough to win? Possibly not but that final ball on our breaks we had maybe 10 opportunities to put someone through and only one of them ended up being a clear chance."