Sheffield Wednesday secured a top-half Championship finish after a 1-1 draw at Watford in what could turn out to be Danny Rohl’s last game in charge.
Josh Windass gave the Owls a 29th-minute lead but Moussa Sissoko replied in first-half added time to ensure a stalemate in a game between two teams with little left to play for.
Rohl – whose future has been in doubt after he was linked with Southampton, Leicester and RB Leipzig – had set his side the target of ending the season in the top half of the Championship for only the sixth time in 19 years.
A point was sufficient to achieve a 12th-placed finish while Watford saw out the campaign in 14th after ending a run of four successive defeats.
A run of just one win in eight games killed off any hopes the Hornets had of forcing their way into the play-offs.
They showed few signs of improving on their recent record as Wednesday took control of the opening stages.
The visitors should have taken the lead in the 10th minute when Windass – one of five players in the Wednesday line-up out of contract this summer – was presented with a clear opportunity following a misplaced pass from Watford forward Mamadou Doumbia.
The forward found himself with time and space in front of goal only to fire his shot over the bar.
Watford’s response was limited to an attempted long-range lob by Imran Louza which was easily dealt with by Owls goalkeeper Pierce Charles.
It was the Owls who were rewarded for their early efforts when Windass made up for his previous miss by making the breakthrough in the 29th minute.
The goal came from a well-worked free-kick with Shea Charles delivering a cross towards the far post where Callum Paterson headed back across goal for Windass to finish from close range.
The shock of conceding appeared to spark Watford into life and Tom Cleverley’s side came close to equalising when centre-back Mattie Pollock headed over from a Louza corner.
Louza was again the provider when Watford drew level in the first minute of added time.
The midfielder lofted a ball over the Wednesday defence and into the path of Sissoko, who took a touch before firing past Charles.
The home side carried on from where they left off at the start of the second half and it took an alert Charles to deny Doumbia the chance to add a second.
The Owls keeper was again called into action to keep out Edo Kayembe’s powerful shot shortly after the midfielder had seen a deflected effort strike the outside of a post.
But the Hornets were unable to find a way through and it was Wednesday who almost carved out a late winner when Olaf Kobacki shot narrowly wide.
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