STEADY does it for Steve MacLean as he strives to regain his place and boost Wednesday's fight for Championship safety. His comeback in the Reserves was standard fare for anyone who has been out for six months and is undergoing a gradual build-up. The striker was given half a game from the start and came through his first competitive outing of the season without ill effect.

It was unremarkable stuff from Wednesday's team in general, as they lost 1-0 to an early goal by Huddersfield's beanpole centre forward John McAliskey in a disjointed Hillsborough affair. It would have been miraculous if MacLean had shown his usual zip and sharpness. He looked a little rusty after so long on the sidelines with knee damage and a shinbone fracture, but there were glimpses of his strengths as well.

In the second minute he shielded the ball and then played a great pass inside the full back to send Richie Partridge scampering down the left wing towards the Leppings Lane end. There were further examples of MacLean's ability to control the ball and bring others into the game with a tidy pass.

In addition, he twice picked out Lee Bullen with long-range, crossfield balls. He had two strikes at goal, a half-chance which he volleyed wide from 18 yards, and a shot that went wide of the keeper's left-hand angle from 25 yards.

Wednesday went behind in the 16th minute to a header from a corner, with the 6ft 4in McAliskey getting in front of Drissa Diallo to bury the ball into the bottom corner. Diallo was also hurt by a first-half challenge for which McAliskey was booked.
The Owls thought they had equalised just after half-time when Patrick Collins tapped home the loose ball after the Town keeper blocked his midfield colleague Andy Broadbent - but the flag was up.

Then Lee Bullen did a fair impersonation of Chris Brunt, though with his right foot, with a 25-yard free kick that hit the top of the bar in the 71st minute.

Half-time: Owls 0-1 Huddersfield