Sheffield Wednesday overturned a two-goal deficit to earn an important point against Norwich last night, with a number of players catching the eye.
The Owls are now level on points with Huddersfield who are teetering on the edge of safety and Danny Rohl has given Wednesday a fighting chance.
Early goals from Josh Sargent and Borja Sainz had the Canaries 2-0 up inside 20 minutes at Hillsborough last night and some months ago the writing may have been on the wall.
These days, however, the Owls are a different animal and two goals in seven minutes scored by Michael Ihiekwe and Michael Smith saw Wednesday pull level with just five minutes remaining.
One man who has been an intriguing signing since he came to the club is goalkeeperJames Beadle – and a reputable journalist delivered his verdict on his performance last night.
Joe Crann delivers verdict on Sheffield Wednesday star James Beadle
Well, it was looking like it might be a night to forget for the England youth goalkeeper in the early stages of the game against Norwich.
For the second goal that Wednesday conceded, it was Beadle’s misplaced pass out from the back that allowed Norwich to sucker punch the Owls.
It led to boos ringing around the stadium and for the young goalkeeper that might have been a chastening experience in front of a hostile crowd.
However, Beadle recovered well to help Wednesday claim a share of the spoils, making several decent stops in the second half.
Crann felt that he deserved credit for his showing, stating that for a young player, he showed a lot of maturity after a confidence-sapping moment.
He said on X: “A lot will be made of the second goal, understandably, but I think it said a lot about James Beadle’s mentality that he performed the way he did in that second half after it…
“Made a huge save to keep #SWFC in it, without that the game was done. Impressive for a 19-year-old.”
Conundrum brewing for Rohl over talented goalkeeper
If Wednesday are relegated to League One, the decision over whether or not to sign Beadle will likely be taken out of the club’s hands.
However, Rohl is going to have a bit of a conundrum when it comes to his goalkeeping situation next season should Wednesday remain in the second tier.
Beadle has proved a solid shot-stopper since arriving on loan from Brighton in January but there have been a number of question marks over his ability to play from the back.
If Rohl is determined to stick with his philosophy of playing short passes in defensive areas to build attacks, Beadle might not be the one.
However, in Sal Bibbo, Wednesday have a goalkeeper coach who knows Beadle and he was probably a huge factor in the Owls managing to sign the youngster.
With Cameron Dawson feeling surplus to requirements and Beadle not showing the best composure with his feet, a conundrum is definitely brewing for Rohl between the posts.
Beadle has a contract with Brighton until 2028 and as a result, landing him on a permanent basis does feel very unlikely.
The big decision for Rohl is whether he feels being able to play out from the back is something that Beadle can get right at some point.
If he’s of the opinion that he can get the youngster competent with his feet then perhaps another loan move could be on the cards.
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