Sheffield Wednesday floundering after second defeat in three days

Sheffield Wednesday suffered their second defeat in three days as they went down by a goal to Shrewsbury in their last EFL League One match. The defeat came on the back of a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, three days earlier.

Sheffield fails to break the jinx

Prior to Sunday's fixture, the Owls had managed just one win against Shrewsbury in seventeen outings, stretching back to 1963. They came into this game not just to balance the odds but also to get back in the running for a play-off slot.

Sheffield started the match on the back foot, repeatedly conceding possession. They looked rather toothless in the first twenty minutes. Their first real chance at the opposition goal came in the 34th minute of the game when Saido Berahino's close-range shot hit the post. Apart from that, Sheffield barely created a chance in the first half.

The Owls' hesitancy to attack eventually allowed their opponents to get their noses ahead. Matt Pennington jumped high in the penalty box in the closing minutes of the first half to fire a corner past Bailey Peacock-Farrell and give the home team the lead.

Sheffield showed much more potency in their attack in the second half. They came close to scoring the equalizer when Lee Gregory's close-range strike was barely edged wide by Marko Marosi.

Despite repeated attempts to get one back, the Owls failed to break their jinx and succumbed to their second defeat in three days.

Sheffield's stuttering form

Sheffield's defeat to Shrewsbury meant the club have picked up only five points from their last five league outings. They also suffered a shocking exit from the Football League Trophy after being eliminated from Hartlepool in the second round. Their only victory in the last month came against Crewe Alexandra.

Heading into December, Sheffield were seventh in the table. Now, a month later, they have slumped to ninth despite playing an extra game than the likes of MK Dons and Portsmouth.

What lies ahead

Sheffield's next assignment is against sixth-placed Plymouth Argyle. They will cap off the month with fixtures against Oxford United and Ipswich Town.

As things stand, the Owls are six points off Plymouth with almost half the season remaining. Darren Moore and his men will have their task cut out to get ahead of the pack ahead of them in the fight for the play-off slots.