Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Coventry City: Djeidi Gassama secures Owls replay with Sky Blues

Djeidi Gassama’s late equaliser earned Sheffield Wednesday an FA Cup fourth-round replay with fellow Championship side Coventry City.

However, the visitors could not hold on as Gassama found the back of the net via a slight deflection in the 84th minute.

Coventry beat the Owls in the league only six days ago, and the replay will have the two sides meet for the fourth time this season.

Prior to kick-off, Coventry players took a knee in a display of unity against racism – a man has been arrested on suspicion of racially abusing Sky Blues midfielder Kasey Palmer when the teams met last weekend.

Sheffield Wednesday players chose to stand arm-in-arm around the centre circle and, while the majority of fans within Hillsborough applauded the show of solidarity, a small smattering of boos were heard from the crowd.

Palmer started the match in dominant fashion and nearly gave the visitors the perfect start just two minutes in, but he could not keep his early effort on target.

After Coventry’s strong start, Wednesday responded and came an Ike Ugbo boot away from scoring a sensational goal. The Owls forward could not get on the end of Barry Bannan’s teasing ball to cap off a wonderful move.

Danish midfielder Torp, who signed for Mark Robins’ side earlier this month, opened the scoring with a beautiful finish after picking the ball up from 35 yards out and unleashing a breathtaking shot that proved too good for Owls’ goalkeeper Pierce Charles.

Wednesday – second-bottom of the Championship – piled the pressure on Coventry in the second half in search of an equaliser and they found it through Gassama, who managed to squeeze home a low driven finish inside the near post after being fed by Bannan.

There was still time left for Charles to produce a brilliant save to prevent Jamie Allen a late Sky Blues winner, also denying them a third victory of the campaign against Wednesday.

Sheffield Wednesday head coach Danny Rohl told BBC Radio Sheffield:

“We deserved the draw – we invested a lot in this game as well.

“I think we did well in the second half, always on the front foot, and the first half was OK.

“All in all we can improve in the final third in some situations, we have to find the smart pass to create more chances.

“The replay is not easy as you have one more game but this is football, we have to do it and take the good things from this game.”

Coventry boss Mark Robins told BBC CWR:

“If you can’t win, don’t lose, bring them back to our place and we will have a right go.

“I thought the game was scrappy, I thought the pitch was difficult again – they make it difficult for you by the way they set up.

“It was a tough game for him to come into but he’s got that in his locker – it was a brilliant, brilliant goal, good debut, welcome to Coventry.”