Late show at Sheffield Wednesday as Hull escape with a point

Posted Sunday, December 03, 2017 by PA

Michael Dawson's last-gasp leveller for Hull could have kept Leonid Slutsky in a job as they drew 2-2 in the Sky Bet Championship at Hillsborough.

The Russian has been on the brink at the Tigers for the last 10 days and his position looked like being even more precarious after Gary Hooper's second-half double for the Owls overturned Fraizer Campbell's early goal.

But in the fifth minute of six added on, Hull, who had shown no second-half ambition, threw a ball into the box and an unmarked Dawson rolled the ball home at the far post.

Whether it will be enough to keep Slutsky in his job remains to be seen, but the result will do little to ease the pressure on Owls boss Carlos Carvalhal, even though his side are now seven unbeaten.

The Portuguese has come under fire in recent weeks and a turgid opening 45 minutes did little to appease the home fans, who exited en masse when Dawson levelled up.

Slutsky admitted he considered resigning after losing to Bristol City last week, but he would have been glad he stuck around as Hull enjoyed a good opening.

Campbell had a fine chance to open the scoring early on when he blazed over at the far post, but it did not prove an expensive miss as the former Crystal Palace man fired the Tigers into a 21st-minute lead.

Neat play down the left saw Markus Henriksen play in Campbell, who cut inside and curled a low shot into the bottom corner for his fifth goal of the season.

That was a big blow to Wednesday and they struggled for a response in a limp first-half display that saw their fans boo them off at the break.

Carvalhal introduced Jordan Rhodes and Kieran Lee at the restart in a bid to get back into the game and things were brighter, with Steven Fletcher bringing ironic cheers around the stadium when he managed a shot on target, firing straight at Allan McGregor.

The Owls upped the ante further and thought they had brought themselves level midway through the second period as Adam Reach ghosted into the area and hit the post from 12 yards, with Rhodes being denied on the rebound by a heroic block from Max Clark.

The pressure was incessant, though, and Hull eventually caved in with 20 minutes to go as Hooper lashed home from 10 yards. The linesman raised his flag for offside, but referee Michael Jones ruled that the last touch came off a Hull player and the goal stood.

There only looked like being one winner from there and Wednesday should have wrapped it up in the 82nd minute as they wasted three chances in the space of 10 seconds.

First Reach saw a shot blocked, sparking furious appeals for handball, Rhodes also saw an effort kept out and then Barry Bannan drilled a low effort just wide.

Hooper grabbed what everyone thought was going to be the winner in the 86th minute when he finished coolly at the far post but there was a twist as Dawson, given freedom in the area, equalised at the death.