Wednesday leave it late for first home win of season

The Owls recorded their first home league win of the season thanks to a last gasp winner from on-loan Argentinian striker Pablo Bonvin. The boy from Boca had come on at half-time in place of defender Ian Hendon and, after some good work from youngster Owen Morrison, Bonvin flighted a beautiful chip over stranded Saddlers keeper James Walker.

It was Wednesday's first league success at Hillsborough seven attempts and the three points gained boosted them out of the bottom three, for the time being anyway. The win will not only be a boost of morale to the team, but also browny points gained for Welshman Terry Yorath with the caretaker boss making his feelings be known that he wants to fill the gap that Peter Shreeves left.

Yorath made a few changes going into his first game in charge, the most suprising being the move to stick Tony Crane upfront to partner Gerald Sibon. There were also places on the subs bench for both Simon Donnelly and Phil O'Donnell.

The Hillsborough faithful may have been cheering and singing on their way home after this one, but there would have been no smiles by fans or management alike after the first 45 minute showing. It was an awful performance by the Owls in that opening half, and they were perhaps lucky to only be one goal down. Many feel if Wednesday had've been playing tougher opposition this game would have been finished at the half-way point with Wednesday playing how they were.

Both sides had enjoyed early chances as Sibon's header went just over for Wednesday, and then Kevin Pressman pulled off a save at the second attempt from Walsall midfielder Fitzroy Simpson. But in the 19th minute it was the visitors who opened the scoring. Simpson's quick short corner was then whipped in by Matthew Gadsby and striker Darren Byfield was able to head the ball past a lost Kevin Pressman from eight yards out.

Walsall nearly doubled their lead on the half-hour mark with again Gadsby and Byfield involved. This time Byfield's header was just over the bar. Wednesday's only chance of a lifeless first half performance came from skipper Trond-Egil Soltvedt, when the Norwegian headed wide from a Gerald Sibon corner.

Half-time: Owls 0-1 Walsall

Yorath must have been horrified that his players were showing such a lack of enthusiasm in a game over a rival struggler on home soil. He rung in the changes at half-time bringing on Owen Morrison and Pablo Bonvin for Tony Crane and Ian Hendon respectively. Yorath's attacking ploy was to pay off in the end.

In the 66th minute Owen Morrison and Alan Quinn combined well to set up Pablo Bonvin. The South American tucked the ball home, only to discover the goal had been ruled out for offside. Owen Morrison putting the life back into Wednesday's attack and it was his skill and vision that helped the Owls equalise with 19 minutes left on the clock. The Ulsterman toyed with his marker on the edge of the Walsall penalty box and whipped in a cross that landed right on the head of Dutchman Gerald Sibon. The former Ajax man powered a header past Walker for his fourth goal of the season, and more importantly Wednesday's leveller.

In a strange move Yorath replaced highly rated youngster Leigh Bromby for injury-plagued midfielder Phil O'Donnell. It was another substitution with an attacking frame of mind by Yorath, but the Scot seemed a little out of place at left-back. Indeed the Saddlers would have been kicking themselves at wasting two late chances to bury the game. Both chances fell to Walsall substitute Pedro Matias and both shots were wide of Wednesday's post.

At the other end Bonvin scored a 90th minute winner and stole all three points for the Owls, it seemed for once lady luck was on Wednesday's side.