AFTER all the recent long-distance travelling, it was a relief to only have to drive over the recently snow-cleared Woodhead Pass to face the Owls at Hillsborough.

At the climax of International Pie Week, it was fitting lunch was steak and ale pie in the Waggon and Horses at Langsett, a pub famous for its home-made pies.

After the encouraging performance and point at Reading on Tuesday night, hope was there something similar or better was on the cards.

Phil Parkinson shuffled his pack a little, bringing back Sammy Ameobi and Derik Osede in for Filipe Morais and Jan Kirchhoff respectively.

In a poor quality first half, we battled hard to more than hold our own and what few chances that were created by both teams were wasted by poor finishing.

Just as the second half was heading for a similar stalemate, Sheffield Wednesday took the lead in controversial fashion.

Jordan Rhodes ran and was flagged offside in the penalty area. The referee didn’t spot the assistant’s flag before he took it down, as George Boyd came from an on-side position to slot the ball home.

In my view, Rhodes was interfering with play but the referee saw it otherwise.

This prompted a double substitution with Zach Clough and Aaron Wilbraham coming on, the latter sadly booed on by some misguided elements of the Bolton following.

To our great relief, Wilbraham nodded home the equaliser from a great Morais cross and we all left the ground happily singing ‘Aaron, Aaron Wilbraham’.

How fickle some fans can be.

After the match, the Wanderers fans were held back in the forecourt, which allowed Sheffield Wednesday fans to gather on Leppings Lane for an ugly confrontation.

This hard-earned point helps us inch clear of the bottom three.

We’re getting players back from injury and suspension, giving Parkinson options to freshen up the team and the chance to rest players.

Encouragingly, whenever we have played teams in the bottom half recently, none of them have impressed me or seem capable of going on a late good run.

Most of them have changed managers and have not seen an upturn in results.

Let’s hope that continues over the last nine matches and that we continue to pick points up.

Next week will be a challenge against an in-form Aston Villa but we can give it a go.