Whelan turns from hero to villain at Boundary Park

Owls young Irish midfielder Glenn Whelan turned from hero to villain inside a tense second half at Boundary Park. Paul Sturrock had been forced to re-shuffle his defence following Richard Wood's exclusion through injury. Steve Adams partnered captain Lee Bullen at centre-back, with Patrick Collins and Paul Heckingbottom filling in the full-back spots.

The Owls struggled to contain the Latics throughout the first half and their only blessing was that they trailed by just the one goal by half-time. New Zealand international, and Latics top scorer, Chris Killen wasted the first good chance of the day when he blasted over Kevin Betsy's low cross from the right.

Wednesday's James Quinn fired in Wednesday's first real chance of the afternoon, after good work on the right by Collins and McGovern, but from a tight angle his right footed flick was never going to be a serious threat.

The Latics had taken a deserved lead shortly before the half-hour mark when Luke Beckett, on the receiving end of a bit of stick from 4000 travelling Wednesday fans after he had turned down a move to Hillsborough before the season, punted home a freakish lob over Paul Gallagher.

It was backs against the wall stuff now and the Owls nearly found themselves 2-0 down when Beckett's delicate chip beat Gallagher but not the underside of the crossbar. Defender Patrick Collins cleared up quickly with Latics players closing in on him.

Sturrock had to change his back plan once more at half-time when Paul Heckingbottom was substituted for winger Matthew Hamshaw. It was later announced Heckingbottom should "never have played in the first place" because of sickness and diarrhoea.

As seen so many times in recent weeks the half-time team talk geared the Owls up for a much better second period. They were level eight minutes into the second half thanks to an equaliser from Glenn Whelan.

Jon-Paul Govern's displayed some silky skills on the left, leaving his marker for dead, before whipping in a left footed cross. Lee Peacock's out-stretched foot steered the ball into the path of Whelan who waited for the ball to sit up just right before cracking a half-volley past the keeper.

Sturrock through on youngster Drew Talbot for the last quarter of an hour to try and sneak a winner but his plans were thwarted when Glenn Whelan received his marching orders for a second bookable offence. There appeared to be no contact in the challenge but nevertheless it was Wednesday's third successive match in a row they would finish with ten men.

In an astonishing six minutes of added time both sides pressed for a winner, but neither could find it. The Owls remain in fourth in the table but results elsewhere indicate this season will come down to the wire for the four play-off spots.


Half-time: Oldham 1-0 Owls

Paul Sturrock's post match comments:
"In the first half we were a team of non-believers. There was a 20-minute spell when they totally dominated us and, as I said to the players at half-time, we had a 'get out of jail' card being only one-nothing down."

"To be fair they responded properly and at least gave the fans something to shout about."

"They turned our back four and caused mayhem and they don't have the quickest strikers. After a wee chat, we turned their back four and suddenly we're getting throw-ins and free-kicks around their box."

AnzOwls verdict:
It's going to go right down to the wire - with our current selection problems this is a point salvaged rather than two lost.