It’s been claimed that referee Peter Wright threatened to abandon Sheffield Wednesday v Ipswich after crowd trouble marred the match.
Owls boss Darren Moore admitted to Alan Biggs for @talkSPORT that the ref warned both him and Kieran McKenna that he would end the game if any more objects thrown on the field.
Fortunately there weren’t, however Moore condemned the incidents and Ipswich fans were unhappy with what they were seeing from the home fans.
Michael Smith headed a late equaliser as Sheffield Wednesday came from two goals down to claim a draw with League One leaders Ipswich.
A strike from Kayden Jackson and Dominic Iorfa’s own goal put the away side in control, however the hosts hit back in the last 15 minutes thanks to George Byers and Smith.
Wednesday almost got off to a great start when Barry Bannan attempted a chip from around 45 yards, with Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton off his line, but the ball bounced in front of the goal and over the crossbar.
But Jackson broke the deadlock after just 4 minutes following a good run from George Edmundson, firing low past David Stockdale.
Early in the second half, Stockdale got down low to his left to stop Lee Evans’ effort.
The visitors went 2-0 up with 19 minutes left when Iorfa bundled the ball into his own net while attempting to clear following a cross.
Byers got the comeback underway in the 75th minute when he produced a far-post finish after connecting with Marvin Johnson’s cross.
The came Smith with the equaliser a minute from time with a header from Reece James’ cross.
GET IN 2-2 smith
Maybe offside but who cares pic.twitter.com/MhPxdU1h5Q— Vancouver Owls™️ (@Vancouverowls) September 17, 2022
@davidcoldwell11 Football fans raging #football #swfc #sheffieldwednesday #sheffwed #owls #footballfans ♬ original sound – davidcoldwell
Darren Moore spoke on Sheffield Wednesday’s draw with Ipswich and the match officials as per Yorkshire Live.
What are your thoughts on the performance?
I’ve said to the boys now that I’m really proud, despite all the incidents that went on in the game, of the way we kept our heads and kept going right to the end.
To come back from two nil down in the manner that we did after the two goals we conceded was good. We stuck to the game plan. I wanted to make a couple of subs at 2-0 down. We still made the changes and we knew Ipswich had put a lot into the game.
We knew at the end of the game that spaces would appear. When George Byers scored from a set play, the roof game off at Hillsborough and it gave the players that bit more momentum and impetus. We kept on going.
I was really pleased to see Smudge come up with his goal because he led the line really well and got another goal.
What did you make of the officials performance?
I could feel the frustration around it today. As a manager looking at the game and how I have got to conduct myself, I would rather not speak about the officials.
I want to talk about my team and how they went about the game. We got something out of the game.
What did the referee say to you and Kieran McKenna on the touchline after objects had been thrown onto the pitch? Did he say if it happened again you might have to go off?
Yes, he said if another object was thrown on the pitch he was going to abandon the game for the safety of everybody on the pitch. He said he won’t condone and have it anymore.
While ever we grow frustrated, we are not a sole entity in terms of how we manage the game. We have got to all govern and adhere to the rules. We know that objects being thrown onto the pitch is something that you don’t do. It is something that we can all learn from today.
He did warn me and Kieran that he would take the teams off and abandon the game, which would have been an absolute catastrophe for us as a football club being the home team. I’m glad no more objects came onto the pitch and I’m glad that the fans witnessed from us that fighting, never-say spirit.
I am really pleased with the players and I said to them in there I’m really proud of them. They gave everything for the cause to get something out of the game.
Even at the end going 2-2 with six minutes to go, we thought the momentum was with us and we would fashion another chance and the winning goal.
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna says he is feeling both proud and disappointed following his side’s 2-2 draw.
“One of the overriding emotions at the moment is one of disappointment because at 2-0 it was such a good performance, we executed the game plan so well, we did almost everything we wanted to do in the game and from there you obviously feel like you deserve to go on and win it,” said McKenna, whose side remain top of the table and unbeaten in League One.
“The game changed on a set play. We can do better in terms of not giving it away and defending it. From there it was always going to be a difficult last 20 minutes.
“Look, there’s pride in the performance, pride individually and as a team in how we competed, but disappointment, of course, in the lead slipping.
“But it’s football. It can happen. Especially in stadiums like this. We have to learn from it and I’m sure we will, because the boys are getting better and better. We just need to keep learning and improving.”
Asked if, when emotions settled, he would reflect on this being a good result for his team, McKenna said: “We certainly had the intent to play for the win. But it’s a very tough place to go, their home record is fantastic, they’re an excellent team and they have fantastic players. Of course a draw is not a bad result at the start of the day, but at 2-0 up and having done so many things so well we feel like we could have got the win that I think we would have deserved.
“We wanted a fast start, we wanted to catch them out and we managed to do that.
“We knew we would have to defend. We actually wanted to do that, we wanted to defend a little bit more on block, hold our shape and entice them out a little bit to create some space for us. We managed to do that.
“I thought mentally we then managed the game pretty well.
“I guess you can say in the last 20 minutes we managed to give away too many set plays from not getting back into position early enough and being maybe a little bit over-zealous to try and win the ball. That’s something we’ll learn from.”
He added: “We have to stay balanced. It’s a really tough place to come, they’ve got a really good home record, they were way ahead of us as a football club last year in their first year back in League One, they’ve added and I think they are a much better team this year than they were last year.
“It was a difficult game. We knew we were going to have to do very well to compete. We did compete. We had ourselves a lead. But they are a big threat on set plays and if you give one away you know they can produce a moment of top end quality like they did for the goal.
“We can’t change it now. We can only learn and improve from those couple of moments and take a lot of pride and encouragement from the good things we did in the game.”
On his team staying top and unbeaten, McKenna said: “The unbeaten bit is nice because we’re showing a level of resilience in general. I know we conceded goals and could have won, but you need resilience to come here and put yourselves in a 2-0 position. We needed to be resilient in the first half when they had their spells of pressure. It’s not like we didn’t show reliance today because we did in certain situations. We just didn’t defend two moments well enough.
“We take the positives. The team is improving. The mentality and the physicality of the team shone at times today. That shows growth from last year.
“I thought we showed our versatility today in terms of the changes we were able to make individually and with the set-up.
“We showed lots of growth and development as a team and it’s important we keep going in that direction.”
“Someone said I was two yards offside… but I’m not bothered one bit.”
Michael Smith on his late equaliser against Ipswich, his first Hillsborough goal for Sheffield Wednesday#SWFC | @BBCSheffield pic.twitter.com/WuHTqQmcjg
— Rob Staton (@robstaton) September 17, 2022
Fans gave their thoughts after hearing the referee threatened to abandon Sheffield Wednesday v Ipswich after some crowd trouble mid-game…
@MattHall1974: I fear he was secretly disappointed he wasn’t able to do that. He seemed intent on being centre of attention all afternoon.
@AS__1867: Hillsborough was vile today and I loved it. Worst was divs throwing stuff from the back of the north tho, let’s be reyt you aren’t hitting the lino from there you’re only going to hit our fans so give over wi that.
@MrPaulPashley: The Referee should be embarrassed. I haven’t seen a display as bad as that for some time! Shocking that things were thrown but I’m amazed if he’ll be able to ref a game any where near this level again.
@JoelGardiner20: There has to be an investigation or something into the standard of officiating at all levels of the football pyramid. The officiating we witnessed at Hillsborough today was nothing short of a disgrace- yet nothing will be done. #swfc #EFL
@ozzie18674: That is an absolute disgrace, embarrassing and shameful
@kerrie_11: The referee caused it 🙈🙈🙈
@Turk_S8: Don’t condone the throwing of anything but The referee was that poor he caused the frustration
@richerfuture: That wouldn’t of been a threat it would’ve been a blessing to then get a proper ref who’s available on another day because that ref was an embarrassment
@mattylamps: Simple as this. They need to look at individual games, they knew there was 25,000 plus at this game so get a championship standard ref for these sort of games. These league one officials cannot handle the occasions.
@Jamesclle: I condemned Darren Moore for being referred to as a football manager. Terrible manager tactically he’s bloody clueless
@Owlsonline: So, some mindless idiots could have brought the game to a premature end and we’d have lost. No matter your feelings on officials or opposing players , chucking stuff at them is wrong. It’s that simple.
@AS__1867: If they weren’t so bad no one would have been annoyed or angry. They were awful. Not condoning it but let’s be reyt they were tut worst officials at I’ve ever seen at Hillsborough. Shouldn’t officiate again.
@George_lee99: @EFL your lack of professionalism & competence, alongside your naivety to employ semi-professional refs, who aren’t fit enough to keep up with play, is ruining football for everybody. The integrity of our game is being ruined week in, week out, across the entire division #itfc
@Dazza_UTO: I’ve never been to a game in years where a match official was so wrong on many occasions & caused an atmosphere by his poor control & decision making . #swfc #itfc . I don’t condemn fans throwing whatever onto the pitch but ref the game properly & fairly and this wouldn’t happen
@norman_Sando: The worst officials I’ve seen in the last 13 years I’ve been going to watch Wednesday, saying that if you’re one of the ones throwing things on the pitch you’re a moron.
@smudga_3108: Sheffield Wednesday fans must be scum. This many stoppages for things thrown at officials. @EFL and @FA please look at this. Perhaps they should play behind closed doors.
@richwhit1974: For all those idiots who decided to throw things on the pitch at hillsborough today…..be thankful the game wasn’t abandoned…..idiotic fans have no place at @swfc. The ref was awful but you’re putting the club in an awful position of forfeiting a game
@NicolaITFC: Fans throwing coins etc at football players is very wrong, this is the 2nd time in this game. @swfc sort your stewards out!
@Callum1093: Sheffield Wednesday fans now collectively throwing things at the Linesman and Ipswich keeper. Worst fans around
@NJW70: So @EFL, that’s FOUR points your inept officials have already robbed #itfc of this season & we’re only 9 games in! Blatantly offside goal allowed for Wednesday today & clear goal denied vs Barnsley! If I did my job that badly I’d get my P45!!! Sort it out!
@GodboldJason: Hillsborough hard place to go as always but throwing things on the pitch REALLY, I get it officials were terrible once again but come on. On the plus #itfc played well at a hard place should of won the game their equaliser was OFFSIDE.
@mlpets: cant condone @swfc fans chucking stuff on pitch today but also think if keeper don’t run into back of net to scream abuse at fans nothing happens club will be fined for something which could be avoided
@prickettboy3: On reflection, we played quite poorly today by our standards and still scored 2 and didn’t lose away t a promotion rival. That’s pretty good. The officials at this level though 🤬🤬🤬. I’ve never seen such consistent levels of incompetence. It’s quite staggering. #itfc
The linesmen was probably too scared to give off side, because of everything being thrown on the pitch. Wednesday have gotten away with it big time #itfc
— Maxi Lopez 🚴🏽⚽️🏎 (@MaxiWardley) September 17, 2022
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