Sheffield Wednesday’s quest for a first home league win of the season continues after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Queens Park Rangers at Hillsborough on September 27, 2025. The Sky Bet Championship clash was anything but dull, offering a showcase of young talent, passionate fan protest, and the resilience of a team fighting through adversity both on and off the pitch.
Heading into the match, the Owls faced a fresh setback: a third transfer embargo, imposed on the eve of the game, left them unable to sign new players—even those available on free transfers. The club’s ongoing financial struggles and the resulting restrictions have been well-documented, but if there was ever a sign that the players weren’t letting off-field drama affect their performance, this was it. The home crowd, though diminished due to ongoing boycotts, made their presence felt. Thousands of fans marked owner Dejphon Chansiri’s 10-year tenure by holding up black and gold scarves in the 10th minute, a vivid protest that reverberated around the stadium.
On the pitch, it was Dominic Iorfa who sparked hope for the home supporters. In the 30th minute, captain Barry Bannan delivered a brilliant free-kick deep from the left. QPR keeper Paul Nardi misjudged the flight, and Iorfa was on hand to nod the ball into an empty net. Hillsborough erupted—at least as much as it could under the circumstances. The Owls dominated the remainder of the half. Young Manchester United loanee Harry Amass, already making waves in his first senior loan, forced a save from Nardi, while Bailey Cadamarteri and Liam Palmer both threatened to double the lead. Palmer’s curling effort was notably pushed over by Nardi, and Cadamarteri headed over from the ensuing corner as Wednesday pressed for a second.
But QPR, managed by Julien Stephan, were not about to roll over. The visitors, coming off three consecutive wins, showed their mettle early in the second half. Just three minutes after the restart, disaster struck for Wednesday. Cadamarteri was penalised for handball in the box, and Nicolas Madsen stepped up to calmly convert the penalty, drawing the visitors level. The momentum briefly swung in QPR’s favor as substitute Karamoko Dembele unleashed a powerful drive that whistled just wide, and for a tense 20-minute spell, the Owls looked vulnerable.
Yet, as head coach Henrik Pedersen emphasized after the match, his side’s resilience came to the fore. “It was a generally strong performance. It has been very difficult at home but we played with strong discipline and showed strong belief,” Pedersen told BBC Radio Sheffield. “Defensively we were very solid with good discipline and we showed the next step on the ball and created chances. The second half we had a difficult 10 minutes at the start but we worked back. Altogether, it was a strong home game.”
Pedersen’s praise didn’t stop there. He singled out the mentality of his young squad, several of whom have been thrust into regular action due to squad limitations. Ernie Weaver and George Brown earned back-to-back starts, while Amass made his third consecutive league appearance, and Cadamarteri, at just 20, started for the sixth time in seven games. “I think in general the boys are investing a lot, and they are investing a lot with the focus for the team, not for themselves. That means when the basic is that you want to give something instead of you want to get something, then you see a lot of leaders who are running around the pitch because they all want to make a difference for the team,” Pedersen said. “That is why there are a lot of small leadership players in this team today, so it is great to see.”
Indeed, the youngsters have become a silver lining in a challenging campaign. Amass, in particular, has drawn plaudits not just from the Wednesday faithful but also from his Manchester United teammates and staff. After the QPR match, Amass posted on Instagram, “We keep building, thank you to the fans as always.” His post was met with encouragement from United prospects like Shea Lacey and Jack Fletcher, while teammate Jamal Lowe chimed in with, “Thank you Carrington,” a nod to United’s youth academy for sending Amass on loan. United’s decision to prioritize first-team football for Amass, even covering the costs to facilitate his move to cash-strapped Wednesday, is already paying dividends. The experience of battling in a struggling side is shaping Amass into a more seasoned player, with many at Old Trafford watching his progress closely.
Despite the positives, Pedersen was candid about the need for improvement in front of goal. The Owls registered 14 shots and created five big chances but managed just one goal. “We cannot have 14 shots and create five big chances and have only one goal,” he lamented. The lack of clinical finishing has been a recurring theme, and with the transfer embargo in place, Pedersen’s options up front are severely limited. The club’s inability to sign even free agents, such as the experienced Kemar Roofe, leaves the current squad with the daunting task of stepping up their goal-scoring output from within.
QPR boss Julien Stephan, meanwhile, was gracious in his assessment of the contest. “Our intensity, quality and end product was not good enough in the first half. I wasn’t surprised at how well Wednesday played. We had a plan and we didn’t respect it and that’s why we had to change some things for the second half,” he said. “At the end of the game we just had to survive. They were trying more long balls and putting set-pieces into the box and it’s good to see we can compete with these things. In the end it’s a point we have to be happy with. I have to give credit to Sheffield Wednesday; they worked hard and were very good in the first half.”
For Sheffield Wednesday, the draw represents a step forward—if only a small one. It’s their first home point of the season and arguably their best performance at Hillsborough so far, especially considering the backdrop of financial turmoil and supporter unrest. The young players are growing with every game, the fans continue to make their voices heard, and Pedersen’s men are showing they can compete, even when the odds are stacked against them. The search for a home win goes on, but the foundation for future success is being laid, one hard-fought point at a time.
