Cardiff City 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday: Bluebirds let lead slip away in draw with Owls on frustrating day

Cardiff City threw away two more crucial points in the race to avoid relegation after Sheffield Wednesday's second-half equaliser earned the visitors a 1-1 draw in the Welsh capital.

Cardiff were all over the Owls in the first half of the match but had just one goal to show for it - a wonderfully-taken chance by Isaak Davies midway through the first period.

However a resurgent Wednesday flew at Cardiff after the break and Michael Ihiekwe's header on the hour was enough to salvage a point for them. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.

With Luton Town, Stoke City and Portsmouth all winning, it sinks Cardiff further into the grip of the relegation battle as they sit two points above the drop zone - but with the team below them, Derby County, having a game in hand.

Omer Riza opted for a bold forward line with youngsters Davies, Cian Ashford and Will Alves all tasked with support Yousef Salech in the absence of the injured Callum Robinson. And it certainly paid off.

City turned out one of their best first-half performances of the season, unleashing a barrage of attacks on the Wednesday goal, not allowing the visitors to take a breath for the most part.

The lively trio around Salech were thorns in the Owls players' sides and the three of them linked up for City's first major chance. Alves had ghosted down the wing before pulling a cross back to Ashford, who poked it on to Davies, whose volleyed effort from close range was saved by Pierce Charles.

Couple Cardiff's pace with Salech's physicality and aerial threat and Wednesday really did have a problem on their hands. On 14 minutes, an inswinger from Callum O'Dowda was met by a climbing Salech, who could only steer his header narrowly wide of the mark.

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