Turner inspires second half turnaround

Wednesday staged a remarkable second half comeback to win their third league game in four matches, as they beat promotion hopefuls Reading. The Owls went in at the break two goals behind and not looking likely to be getting much from the game.

But Alan Quinn grabbed a vital 51st minute goal to set the stage for the comeback. Gerald Sibon struck from 25 yards out in the 68th minute, the Dutchman's ninth goal of the season, and one minute later the home side had their necks infront when on-loan winger Allan Johnston lobbed Reading 'keeper Hahnemann.

The victory means the Owls are now only just two points adrift from safety, and better more will install confidence amongst the squad that they can match it with the division's best.

Owls boss Chris Turner had Derek Geary, Craig Monk and Allan Johnston all back after being unavailable for the FA Cup game at Gillingham through being cup-tied, and injury in Geary's case. Turner also drafted Ryan Green back into the side after the disappointing 4-1 defeat at Priestfield Stadium in midweek.

Another pleasing sight late on for Owls fans will have been the inclusion of Italian youngster Michele Di Piedi, who came on in the 86th minute to mark his first appearance of the season. Di Piedi has spent most of the season on-loan at Norwegian club Odd Grenland. Hopefully Di Piedi can find form and create selection headaches for Turner and his assistant Colin West.

This report from Soccernet.com:

Sheffield Wednesday staged a remarkable second-half fightback to keep their mini-revival going with a 3-2 victory over promotion hopefuls Reading. The Owls had a woeful first half and went in 2-0 down after goals from Nicky Forster and Martin Butler, but Alan Quinn clawed one back just after the restart and following Gerald Sibon's equaliser, on-loan Allan Johnston struck the winner.

It was Wednesday's third victory in their last four league games and lifted manager Chris Turner's hopes of saving his home-town club from the threat of relegation. Reading got away to a perfect start when the unmarked Forster - recalled to the starting line-up in place of top-scorer Jamie Cureton - took advantage of woeful defending to head Graeme Murty's right-wing cross into the net after nine minutes.

They made it two 10 minutes later when Sammy Igoe's pass sliced through the Wednesday defence for Butler to beat advancing goalkeeper Kevin Pressman. There was little sign of the drama to come when the teams went in at half-time, but Quinn gave Wednesday hope after 52 minutes when he drilled a shot past Marcus Hahnemann after Derek Geary's deep cross was knocked into his path by Shefki Kuqi.

Kuqi provided the lay-off for Sibon to shoot low into the net from 25 yards for the 69th-minute equaliser, and two minutes later on-loan Middlesbrough midfielder Johnston sent the crowd wild when he fired a 25-yard shot past Hahnemann for the third.

It was an amazing turnaround as Reading had looked much the better team in the first half and Wednesday keeper Pressman was one of the busiest players on the field. Boss Turner made five changes from the team thrashed 4-1 by Gillingham in the FA Cup in midweek, but 25 minutes had gone before the Owls could produce any sort of threat, Trond Egil Soltvedt's long-range effort sailing over the crossbar.

Sibon and Kuqi then both missed the target with shots from inside the box. But the lively Forster went close to another Reading goal and James Harper fired in a 20-yarder that Pressman tipped round the post as the visitors pressed for a third.

Reading soon showed their teeth in the second half and Murty struck a 25-yard shot that Pressman saved, but they were buried under the Wednesday deluge and though they staged the inevitable rousing finish, Butler could only fire wide from 20 yards as the seconds ticked down.

Half-time: Owls 0-2 Reading