Live Commentary: Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Hull City - as it happened

A general view of Hillsborough on January 05, 2013
© Getty Images
Relive Sports Mole's minute-by-minute coverage of the 1-1 draw in the Championship between Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City.

Saturday's lunchtime kickoff in the Championship was a match between two in-form teams as Sheffield Wednesday entertained Hull City at Hillsborough.

Wednesday had won four in a row before the international break, but their winning run was stopped as the Tigers fought back to earn a 1-1 draw.

Read how it all unfolded with our minute-by-minute updates below.


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12.01pmBonjour! After a week off, Championship football is back this weekend and the second game of matchday 11 takes place at Hillsborough as in-form sides Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City collide. Let's get straight to the team news...

12.03pmWEDNESDAY XI: Westwood; Hunt, Turner, Lees, Pudil; Lee, Hutchinson; Wallace, Bannan, Forestieri; Joao
Subs: Wildsmith, Loovens, Matias, Nuhiu, McGugan, Helen, Semedo

12.05pmRighty ho. Starting with the hosts, Carlos Carvalhal makes just one change from the side that beat Preston 3-1 two weeks ago. It comes in attack as Lucas Joao is preferred to Atdhe Nuhiu to lead the line. Lewis McGugan and Marco Matias remain on the bench. We're likely to see them at some point as they can certainly have an impact.

12.07pmCarvalhal has just been speaking to Sky Sports and he says that he chose Joao over Nuhiu because he believes that Joao's better mobility and pace will harm Hull more than Nuhiu's physical presence.

12.09pmHULL XI: McGregor; Elmohamady, Davies, Dawson, Odubajo; Huddlestone, Livermore, Diame; Maloney, Clucas; Hernandez
Subs: Jakupovic, Bruce, Meyler, Maguire, Akpom, Aluko, Robertson

12.10pmPlenty of Steve Bruce's squad were away with their countries over the international break, but all have reported back fit and well and Bruce names an unchanged side.

12.12pmAbel Hernandez leads the line for the Tigers and he will be looking to continue his good season. He is the only Hull player with multiple goals in the Championship and has now scored in three of his last four away games to help the Tigers maintain their top-six position. However, he might get tired today given that he played in both World Cup qualifiers for Uruguay over the international break, scoring in one.

Abel Hernandez of Hull City celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Hull City at Emirates Stadium on October 18, 2014© Getty Images

12.14pmH2H: It is almost three years since these two last played, and in the 2012-13 season the away team won both encounters. In fact, Hull have won three of their last five league trips to Hillsborough after winning just one of the previous 17.

12.16pmThe setting for today's game. It is a cloudy day in South Yorkshire with temperatures around 10 degrees.


12.18pmTime to look at the table. Click here to see the standings ahead of matchday 11. Hull are fifth and will go up to second for a few hours at least if they win, while Wednesday will move level on points with the four sides in the playoff spots if they can make it five wins in a row.

12.19pmBy the way, there was one game last night and Bristol City saw off Nottingham Forest for their first home win of the season to move off the bottom. Read all about it here.

12.21pmPREDICTION: A little under 10 minutes until kickoff at Hillsborough, so I best make my pre-match prediction. Plenty of Hull's players have been away on international duty, but you still feel that they will match a red-hot Wednesday side today. I can't call it and am going for a 1-1 draw.

12.22pmOn our in-depth match preview, 61.6% of you have backed Wednesday to win today. 15.2% agree with me and a draw, while 23.2% fancy Hull to claim the spoils.

12.24pmWednesday's improved form has seen them move into the top half, but fans would be wise not to get carried away as all three wins were against bottom-half sides and two of them, Brentford and Preston North End, have really struggled this season. Today's game is a much bigger test.

12.25pmIf the Owls do make it four league wins in a row it will be the first time since April 2012 that they have achieved the feat, and it will be five straight in all competitions after their third-round Capital One Cup triumph away at Newcastle United, which earned them a home tie against Arsenal in the fourth round later this month.

12.27pmSTAT: Maybe the biggest positive about Wednesday this season has been that they are scoring goals at home. They only need six more at Hillsborough to equal the 16 they managed in front of their own fans the whole of last term.


12.29pmThe two teams are out of the tunnel and kickoff is moments away.


12.30pmA quick sidenote in case you haven't heard the sad news from this morning. The man dubbed Everton's greatest-ever manager, Howard Kendall, has died at the age of 69. Read the full story here.

0 minKICKOFF! Wednesday get us underway. Hull are all in orange today as their usual black shorts would be the same as Wednesday's.

2 minElmohamady is always a danger crossing from the right and he's just whipped in an inviting ball that Turner defended well under pressure from Hernandez, who fouled the Owls man when trying to win the ball.

3 minThis time Hernandez beats Turner to the ball about 30 yards out to win his side a free kick...

4 minHuddlestone's delivery is inch-perfect and Dawson heads straight at Westwood from about seven yards. It's a bad miss, but it wouldn't have counted anyway as the centre-back had strayed offside.

5 minHernandez might have been playing football halfway across the world earlier this week, but he's been extremely bright in the early stages and is already keeping the blue-and-white defenders on his toes.

6 minToday's referee, by the way, is Keith Stroud.

9 minPENALTY SHOUT! Big, big shouts for a penalty from the home side as Joao wins the ball on the edge of the box, albeit using his hand, and feeds Lee, who nudges the ball past Dawson before tumbling over. The centre-back leaned into the midfielder a little, but there was not enough contact to warrant a penalty.

12 minHull started really brightly, but in the last four or five minutes Wednesday are applying plenty of pressure and forcing Hull to play their way out from the back or hoof it long. Much better from Carvalhal's side.

13 minMaloney with an awful pass across the field that Bannan intercepts, heading into the path of Forestieri. The diminutive Italian just has Dawson to beat, but the Hull man stands up well before making a block. Forestieri perhaps should have looked right for Wallace.

16 minTurner bodychecks Hernandez off the ball and the Uruguayan stays down. He looks a little winded, but should be able to continue. While we wait for the match to get back underway, let me just point you in the direction of our live commentary of Spurs vs. Liverpool - Jurgen Klopp's first game in charge. They've just kicked off at White Hart Lane.

18 minExcellent from Livermore as he lunges in to nick the ball away just as Joao was opening up to have a shot. The latter has impressed early on with his hold-up play and linking up with teammates.

20 minAt the other end, Maloney turns down the chance to shoot and instead does a couple of step-overs before teeing up Diame. He does opt for goal, but Hutchinson gets back to make a block.

22 minThat effort from Diame and Forestieri's blocked shot a few minutes ago remain the only attempts on goal as we approach the midway point of the first half. An interesting game to watch, but not much in the way of final-third action so far.

23 min

24 minFantastic defending from Turner as he slides in to deny Hernandez an easy tap-in. It was brilliant down the left from Hull as Diame scooped the ball into the path of Odubajo, who stormed down the left before crossing low.

25 minBad call from Stroud as he points for a goal kick even though it was clearly Lees who headed the ball behind.

28 minGOAL! SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 1-0 HULL CITY (FERNANDO FORESTIERI)

28 minThe home side go in front as Forestieri turns home a loose ball in the area. He looked offside, but Elmohamady clearly played the forward onside. He was on the post but then took ages to get out and when Forestieri shot he was in no-man's land. If he'd stayed on the post he might have stopped it.

31 minBOOKING! This is Hutchinson's 10th game of the season and he's now been booked SEVEN times after this nasty lunge on Hernandez. To be honest, Stroud could have sent the former Chelsea man off as it was high and late. Lucky boy.

32 minSAVE! From the resulting free kick, Livermore shoots at goal and Westwood palms it wide. Replays show it was drifting wide, but Westwood thought better safe than sorry.

33 minCHANCES! Brilliant again from Joao as he twists one way then the other on the edge of the box before shooting straight at McGregor. The loose ball just misses Lee and Hull survive.

34 minBOOKING! Diame becomes the first Hull player in the book and then moments later Lees heads into the side-netting from Wallace's corner. Heavy Wednesday pressure at the moment.

35 minNon-stop action at the moment as, at the other end, Diame lets fly from 20 yards and it's an easy save for Westwood low to his right.

38 minOK, I've got my breath back after that end-to-end few minutes. Forestieri's goal still separates the two teams as the sun peaks through the clouds in South Yorkshire ⛅️

41 minAs it stands, Wednesday are climbing up to seventh in the table ahead of this afternoon's 3pm kickoffs.

44 minCHANCE! This would have been a great time for Wednesday to score, just before the break, but Bannan blasts over after brilliant work from both Forestieri and Lee. The latter skipped past Davies's challenge in the area, doing well not to go down, before dinking a cross to the back post where Bannan brought it down and blasted over.

45+1 minTwo minutes of added time signalled by the fourth official.

45+3 minHALF-TIME: SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 1-0 HULL CITY

1.18pmIt's the home side who lead at the break, then. Forestieri with the goal after some lazy defending from Elmohamady played the Italian onside and he slotted home well first time.

1.21pmHull started the match well, but failed to make the most of their early pressure. The Wednesday goal felt like it was coming when it did and they could be further ahead. However, Hull have also had their chances, so a one-goal home lead feels about right.

1.23pmA good omen for the Owls:


1.26pmThe stats also back up what I was saying about Wednesday deserving to be in front. They have had seven shots to Hull's two, although the Tigers have had the lion's share (sorry) of possession with 57% of the ball.

1.29pmThe bright Italian celebrates his second league goal of the season:


1.31pmGiven that Hernandez was busy over the international break, it would not be surprising to see Arsenal loanee Chuba Akpom introduced. The youngster has not scored since the opening day of the season, but did net on his England Under-21s debut recently so should be confident.

1.33pmOkey dokey, here come the two teams for the second half. No changes from either manager at the break. Another good sign for Wednesday - Hull have won just once in the last two years when conceding first 😕

46 minKICKOFF! Hull get us back underway at Hillsborough. A reminder that Hutchinson and Diame are on yellow cards.

46 minCLOSE! Bright start to the half by Hull and they almost score a freak equaliser as Odubajo crosses from the left and almost scores with a dipper that goes over Westwood and just clears the bar.

48 minWednesday win a free kick at the other end and it's a deep delivery by Wallace that finds an unmarked Lees. He should head high and back across goal, but instead plants it low and Hull are able to clear.

50 minForestieri looks up to the assistant after tumbling under the challenge of Livermore in the area. For me, the Hull man got his foot across and just outmuscled the Wednesday man. Could have been given, though.

51 minGOAL! SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 1-1 HULL CITY (ABEL HERNANDEZ)

51 minRight, there's loads just happened in the last minute. Bear with me. First, Bruce brought on Akpom for Diame and the Arsenal man had an instant impact by getting in down the right and lifting a cross that Maloney picked up at the back post. Wednesday then made two big blocks before Hernandez eventually found a way through for his sixth league goal of the season.

52 minThe Uruguayan remains the only Tiger to score multiple Championship goals this season.

Abel Hernandez for Hull on January 1, 2015© Getty Images

54 minThis game is right in the balance now with Hull doing exactly what they needed to with a quick equaliser after the interval. Wednesday need to wrestle back some control.

56 minBOOKING! Hunt into the book for shoving over Akpom and Huddlestone's shot at goal from the resulting tweet is blocked. Replays show that it clearly hit Lee's outstretched arm. Not quite sure how Stroud hasn't blown up for a free kick 10 yards closer.

59 minHmmmmmmmm. Elmohamady goes down and he clearly used Bannan's leg to go down as opposed to being tripped by the Wednesday man. The whistle blows and you're expecting the right-back to be booked, but he gets a free kick.

61 minClever improvisation from Hernandez as he juggles the ball with his back to goal before swivelling and volleying at goal. It was quite a tight angle and Westwood saves comfortably.

62 min

63 minSAVE! Elmohamady doing what he does best with an excellent cross and it's Hernandez who beats his man at the near post to flick at goal and Westwood makes a fine save.

63 minBOOKING! Wednesday try to break, but Clucas illegally brings their counter to a halt and is cautioned.

65 minOn the stretch Lees inadvertently heads towards his own goal. It whizzes comfortably wide, but it was a heart-in-mouth moment for the Wednesday defender. Hull really on top at the moment and you feel that they will get a second soon.

67 min

69 minClucas blasts high and wide after he found space on the edge of the box thanks to a poor clearance from a corner. Hull still pressing.

70 minSUB: No surprise here as Joao, who's been much quieter in the second half, is replaced by Nuhiu. Also a change for the visitors with Robertson on for Maloney.

72 minBannan with a cross that's begging to begging to turned home but Forestieri's legs are just too little as he fails to reach it.

74 minThe Tigers win a free kick about 22 yards out and Hernandez goes for goal but curls it straight at the wall. Just over 15 minutes to go.

77 minSAVE! Wednesday almost retake the lead with a bizarre own goal as Bannan's free kick is cannoned towards his own goal by Robertson. You're expecting the net to bulge, but McGregor is alert and beats it away with his right hand.

80 minIt's gone a little quite the last few minutes as both teams prepare for a 10-minute push to finish the game. Will there be a winnner? Or will my 1-1 prediction prove perfect?

82 minYou have to say that Hull deserve to be at least level because of their second-half display. They only had two shots in the first half but have had 12 since to Wednesday's three.

85 minHULL SUB: Bruce makes an attacking change as Sone Aluko comes on for Livermore.

87 minAs it stands, Hull are moving up to third in the table and Wednesday up to ninth. That will all change come 5pm, though.

88 minWEDNESDAY SUB: Still not much late goalmouth action as Wednesday make their second change, with Jeremy Helan on for Wallace.

90 minHow odd! Referee Stroud has just been wiped out by Akpom and seems in a really bad way. That will delay the end of the match significantly.

90+2 minStroud is walking shakily to the touchline and the fourth official will have to step in for whatever is left in injury time. Wednesday aren't too happy as they were on the attack when Stroud was flattened.

90+4 minIt's Darren Handley with the cards and whistle as the game restarts. Four minutes were initially signalled, but we'll probably play until the 97th minute due to the stoppage.

90+5 minDavies blazes over from close range, but he was offside when Dawson flicked it on, so his blushes are spared.

90+7 minFULL-TIME: SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 1-1 HULL CITY

2.27pmOne apiece it finishes then and, for once, I get a prediction right. Wednesday will probably be happier of the two given how dominant Hull were in the second half, but the Tigers can be content with a point as Wednesday had won four in a row.

2.29pmWe've got to dash off, but thanks for joining SM this afternoon. Do click around for plenty more live Saturday action, including each and every Premier League game. Enjoy!

Carlos Carvalhal manager of Sheffield Wednesday looks on during the pre season friendly match between Ilkeston and Sheffield Wednesday at the New Manor Ground on July 15, 2015
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Burnley382112561313075
2Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton381914552351771
3Middlesbrough37217948232570
4Hull City37199950232766
5Derby CountyDerby381713851351664
6Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds381614856362062
7Cardiff CityCardiff38151494941859
8Ipswich TownIpswich381610124644258
9Birmingham CityBirmingham371511114135656
10Preston North EndPreston381314113635153
11Queens Park RangersQPR381215114743451
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves381212144651-548
13Leeds UnitedLeeds371114123745-847
14Blackburn RoversBlackburn381113143736146
15Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest381113143436-246
16Huddersfield TownHuddersfield38129175253-145
17Reading371112144243-145
18Brentford37127184859-1143
19Bristol City381110174058-1843
20Rotherham UnitedRotherham38116214462-1839
21Fulham38814165764-738
22MK Dons38910193251-1937
23Charlton AthleticCharlton38711203469-3532
24Bolton WanderersBolton38414203668-3226