Owls defence leaks late again

For the second game in a row the Owls were forced to settle for just a point after visitors Watford stole two points from Paul Sturrock's side with an equaliser five minutes from time. The out of form Hornets threatened to take all three points at the death but the Wednesday defence held on by the skin of their teeth.

Emergency striker Chris Brunt had given the home side the lead midway through the second half, after collecting Lee Peacock's flick on and delightfully chipping the Watford keeper. The Northern Ireland international was forced to play upfront in the second half after striker David Graham had hobbled off with an injury at the break.

And it was Graham who should've given Wednesday the lead in the opening minutes. Chris Eagles, turning his man with a delightful flick over the head, whipped in a perfect right hand cross but the Scotman's header came back off the post. Before this match Graham had managed just two goals in his opening 12 games for the Owls since moving from Wigan Athletic.

Moments later it was a close call at the other end as Watford were disallowed a goal. John Hill's weak back-header was intercepted by Marlon King but the linesman ruled the Hornet's forward was offside, much to the relief of the home side.

A bit talking point of the first half was the referee's decision to dish out only a yellow card to Watford keeper Ben Foster. The visiting keeper brought down last man David Graham, who had ran onto a Glenn Whelan pass. The resulting free-kick, taken by Whelan, was over the bar.

Half-time: Owls 0-0 Watford

The only change at half-time saw Burton O'Brien come into midfield with Chris Brunt replacing the injured Graham upfront. Brunt's strike, his third of the season, shortly after the hour mark put the Owls ahead.

Wednesday's goal gave Watford the kick into gear they were looking for and it was time for the Owls to defend strongly. They did that well for the majority of the time thanks largely to Graham Coughlan. However, the battling Irishman went off in the 79th minute with concussion. That was after having run around apparently for a matter of minutes not quite knowing what he was doing or where he was. He went off to a standing ovation from the Hillsborough faithful.

The Owls were to have a number of penalty decisions turned down by referee Leake with one of the last a dubious challenge on Chris Eagles in the box. As if to throw it in Wednesday's face Watford went and equalised at the other end with not much more than five minutes remaining. A long throw in was flicked onto the edge of the six yard box where Ashley Young turned substitute Richard Wood to slam the ball past David Lucas in off the crossbar.

The goal was heartbreak for Wednesday who for the second consecutive game had now conceded a late goal to throw away a lead. Things almost got worse for Paul Sturrock as the Hornets came dangerously close to snatching a late winner. With seven minutes of injury time shown by the fourth official Sturrock headed down the tunnel, his usual tradition of not watching injury time.

It would've been a long seven minutes for Sturrock who may have heard amongst the deadly silence of a shocked Hillsborough crowd the ball thump against Lucas' left hand post. Clarke Carlisle's cross-turn shot beat Lucas but not the frame of the goal and it seemed inevitable that Marlong King would slot the ball into an empty net, before Wood ducked in from nowhere to clear.

On the bright side the Owls are undefeated in three games now, their best run of form so far this season. But just two points taken from the last two ensure that Sturrock's side remain in the bottom three. Next up - an all important clash at home to bottom of the table Brighton on Monday.

Paul Sturrock's post match comments:

"Neither of those things happened and we could quite easily have lost the game in the last minute. Things that are happening in the game are not going our way. Lady Luck has turned her bum on us at this minute in time. I'm frustrated to lose such a poor goal. I don't mind somebody smashing one in from 30 yards but to lose a goal like that is very disappointing. A couple of players didn't defend on the right side. But the players have given me everything I could ask for in terms of work rate and attitude."

"We're undefeated in three although in the last two games we've been 1-0 up and lost late goals. But if somebody had told me we'd take four points from the Watford and Brighton games I'd probably have taken it - so now we have to go and get that win against Brighton."