Coventry City 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday: Battling Owls frustrate champions-elect

Coventry City were forced to wait to clinch promotion to the Premier League after being held by relegated Sheffield Wednesday – but it will take a mathematical miracle to deny them thanks to results elsewhere.

The Championship leaders would have officially been up had they beaten the Owls, because of promotion rivals Middlesbrough’s defeat by Portsmouth later on Saturday.

However, Boro’s loss, combined with Millwall only managing a draw at West Bromwich Albion on Friday, means Frank Lampard’s men are practically assured of a top-two finish.

They are 12 points clear of third-placed Millwall with four games to play and a goal difference 33 better than the Lions.

A single point from their remaining games will formally secure Coventry’s place back in the top flight after 25 years.

They will look to get that at Blackburn on Friday after a game where they could not find the kind of fluency in attack they have shown all season.

The closest they came was Liam Kitching’s header from Jack Rudoni’s corner which was headed off the line by Svante Ingelsson in the first half.

Jerry Yates and Ingelsson both had chances to give the Owls, who are now winless in 37 matches in all competitions, a shock lead after the break.

Coventry did improve as the match wore on but failed to force Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles into a meaningful save, although Ellis Simms nearly won it in the final moments of six minutes added on when his deflected overhead kick went just wide.

Henrik Pedersen’s administration-hit Wednesday side, meanwhile, have now drawn successive matches and are up to minus four points for the campaign.