'Leaderless' Owls surrender at Charlton

Brian Laws branded his side 'leaderless' and claimed they folded 'like a pack of cards' as they threw away a 2-0 lead at half-time to be on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline at The Valley. It is the first time in 18 years that Wednesday have lost all three of their opening league games as, not surprisingly, they remain at the foot of the Championship table.

There were changes to the side that lost at home to Wolves last weekend with Richard Hinds replacing Lee Bullen at centre-back, Burton O'Brien starting on the left-wing and Leon Clarke starting up front alongside Deon Burton with Marcus Tudgay on the bench.

The Owls got off to a flyer and took the lead in the 6th minute when Burton O'Brien lashed home a half volley from the edge of the box. It was the South African born player's first start of the season.

The lead was doubled some nine minutes later as teenage full back Tommy Spurr scored his first goal for the club, heading home at the back post from a Glenn Whelan corner.

Wednesday held their lead until the break but the second 45 saw a horror show unfold for The Owls. Laws had demanded that his side not sit too far back and invite trouble but he was left fuming that they did just that from the start of the second period. The Addicks hauled one back six minutes after the restart through skipper Andy Reid. The midfielder dummied well to switch the ball onto his less favoured right foot and curled the ball past Lee Grant.

The Owls might've regained their two goal cushion when Richard Wood headed straight at former Owl Nicky Weaver. At the other end the young Wednesday defender was turned by Charlton forward Chris Iwelumo and the Scot fired home the equaliser.

The defending was equally as poor in the dying minutes as Charlton completed a remarkable comeback to snatch the winner with three minutes left. Iwelumo latched onto a Svetoslav Todorov pass and slammed the ball past Grant.

The Owls gaffer now has the pressure heaped on him to boost the squad before the transfer deadline in five days. With ten goals now conceded in just three games it is obvious Wednesday are in dire need of new signings at the back. Laws later claimed his side is lacking in "leadership and experience" but with back four having an average age of just 22 it's not hard to see why.

Wednesday take a break from their increasingly depressing league campaign to take on lower division Hartlepool in the 2nd Round of the League Cup in midweek.

Laws verdict: "The areas we need to strengthen are quite evident." "We've got no leaders in the team. We need leadership and experience and we don't have it. The team spirit isn't where it should be." "We fell apart, caved in like a pack of cards. I'm very disappointed and I'm very angry."