Mason Burstow put Wednesday ahead soon after the break before substitute Sullay Kaikai equalised midway through the second period.

Hamshaw said: “Frustrating, I think, is the key word. I felt the first 10-15 minutes we weren’t good enough. I thought we were too lethargic, really, putting our foot on the ball at the back and not stepping in.

“For half an hour after that we looked like we were a good team again. Obviously, last week might have knocked the players a little bit, and they’ve been through a lot these last 48 hours, as we all have.

“I’m disappointed with their goal. I thought we should have handled it better at the edge of the box. We conceded and then we show a good reaction.

“At the end, they’re throwing balls in the box and lads are putting the bodies on the line. It’s frustration because we wanted three points and we just need to be a little bit better.”

Commenting on his own position following Henrik Pedersen’s sacking, Hamshaw added: “I’m in charge until a new manager is appointed.

“The powers that be will make those decisions. As we stand at this moment in time, I just keep trying to do the job, keep putting a team out there that can be competitive.”

Cambridge boss Neil Harris felt the disappointment over only taking a point is a measure of the progress the club has made.

He said: “I just think it shows it’s a massive leap forward for the club. To come and in some ways be disappointed to only get a 1-1 draw, it shows how far we’ve come and how well we’re doing.

“I thought it was an entertaining game of football. There was a lot of chance at both ends and Sheffield Wednesday showed real qualities with the ball.

“We had to rely on a really good save from ‘East’ [Jake Eastwood] in the second half. A little bit of luck with the post when ‘Baz’ (Barry Bannan) hits the post. But at the other end of the pitch, we had so many chances.

“So many clearances off the line. I thought Ash [Maynard-Brewer] made a couple of great saves in goal for them. But, ultimately, the praise goes to the players for coming back to get a point here at Hillsborough.

“The amount of young players we’ve got in the side and what a learning experience that is to come here and play for the first time. So, those are positives of the night. It’s a strong point that we take into Saturday.”