Cardiff City have missed out on the chance to draw level on points with second place in the Championship, having been held to a goalless draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

The Bluebirds, aiming to capitalise on Derby County's draw against Bristol City by the same scoreline on Friday night, could not find a way through from some speculative attempts in the first half.

Wednesday were unlucky not to snatch all three points in the second period, creating two big chances for Lucas Joao which the striker failed to make the most of.

A second successive league stalemate for new Owls boss Jos Luhukay, and a fourth match without scoring for the first time since 2009, leaves them down in 17th place.

Cardiff had the better of the first-half chances and found the net through Kenneth Zohore, who expertly found a way past Joe Wildsmith from range but only after the whistle had already blown for an infringement.

Junior Hoilett got in behind on a couple of occasions without being able to pick out a teammate, while on-loan winger Yanic Wildschut's long-range attempt was pushed aside by Wildsmith.

Another of the Bluebirds' new recruits, Liverpool man Marko Grujic, was next to test the busy Wednesday stopper with a similar attempt that was heading for the bottom corner.

The Owls ended the opening 45 minutes on top, though, with Jordan Rhodes fluffing his lines from a headed chance in the box and Adam Reach blasting over a half-empty goal after the ball was parried into his path.

Wednesday took that momentum into the second half and should have opened the scoring when Joao was played through, but he dragged his shot wide of the post under pressure from covering defender Sol Bamba.

Joao had an even better chance minutes later, only to this time head straight at Neil Etheridge with his back-post header under little pressure.

Wildschut and Morgan Fox then sent efforts wide of the mark at either end, before Joe Ralls forced a simple save out of Wildsmith, who had a far quieter second half.

Etheridge was alert in the final 15 minutes to pounce before Marco Matias could convert, which would prove to be the last opening of the evening.

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (3-5-2): Wildsmith; Thorniley, Venancio, Pudil; Palmer, Jones, Reach, Wallace (Boyd 81'), Fox; Joao (Nuhiu 81'), Rhodes (Matias 72')

CARDIFF CITY (5-4-1): Etheridge; Manga, Morrison, Bamba; Richards, Ralls, Grujic (Paterson 78'), Bennett; Hoilett (Harris 83'); Wildschut (Mendez-Laing 71'), Zohore