Relief for Laws as Jeffers wonder strike ends dismal run

If there was ever a time for Francis Jeffers to start paying back the faith shown in him by Brian Laws, today was the day. At one stage in his career Jeffers was the highest paid teenager in British football. A player with undoubted talent and potential but whose career has gone off the tracks over the years, Laws paid the best part of £700,000 and a reported £10,000 a week to bring the Scouser to Hillsborough.

His Owls career has started slowly wiith niggling injuries hampering his time on the field but heading into the Yorkshire derby at home to Hull Jeffers promised Laws he would bag him the winner. He stayed true to his word with a 40th minute left foot strike into the top corner that may just have saved Laws' job, for now.

If you believe what some of the papers tell you this was a 'must win' for Laws. An emergency board meeting was held after Tuesday's dismal performance against Burnley, a 2-0 defeat that was Wednesday's sixth straight league loss, which resulted in the board confirming their backing for the manager they appointed just ten months ago. However, another defeat here today, after financing two loan deals in midweek, would not have ruled out them going back on their word. They've done it before, they'd do it again.

There is huge relief that the first points are on the board and that Wednesday's worst ever start to a season (read it and weep - six straight defeats) is over. Of course there is still plenty of work to do and The Owls are no higher in the table than what they were before kick off. But Laws can be especially pleased that the two new faces he drafted into the side this week really did make the world of difference.

Laws changed his formation today to an unfamiliar 3-5-2 system with Richard Wood and Tommy Spurr playing either side of debutant Michael Johnson. All three played in front of Lee Grant who kept his place in goal despite having let in 14 goals in 6 games so far. The other signing this week, Graham Kavanagh, slotted in the middle of midfield with Glenn Whelan and Steve Watson to his side. Full back Frank Simek reverted to more of a wing-back role on the right, with Dutch winger Etienne Esajas on the left. Akpo Sodje was dropped to the bench in favour of Deon Burton, who paired up with Jeffers up front.

The visitors, who have enjoyed their visits to Hillsborough with two wins and a draw in the last three meetings here, came out of the traps quickest and threatened the Wednesday goal in as early as the fourth minute. A Bryan Hughes cross was deflected dangerously close to Grant's goal.

Former Bolton Wanderers player and Nigerian international Jay Jay Okacha was the one to watch for The Tigers and he created arguably their best chance of the first half when he picked out Michael Turner from a corner but the defender's header was cleared off the line.

The Jeffers goal came five minutes from the break. It was a lovely move that saw the former Everton and Arsenal forward exchange passes with Burton 20 yards out before unleashing a sweet left foot strike into the top corner. Hull boss Phil Brown later declared it a strike of 'Premier League' class and the defining moment in the game.

It wasn't plain sailing there for Wednesday who had to fight all afternoon to earn the points. Spurr was swapped for Richard Hinds at half time after the youngster suffered a dead leg. Hull may have claimed they deserved a point but they lacked genuine quality in the final third and Grant kept them at bay with a series of good saves. In fact it could have been 2-0 if it were not for the up right denying substitute Wade Small late on.

Not that the scoreline mattered to Laws - just the result. The fact that this was also Wednesday's first clean sheet of the season was purely a bonus.

Laws verdict: "I'm emotionally drained and gave my players a right rollicking after the game for putting me through this agony!" "It's a great relief and it's been a long time coming. We needed bravery out there and a bit of calm and this had all the ingredients. There's been a millstone around our necks which has been getting heavier - but it showed morale in the camp is still there." "I can enjoy Wednesday's game (against Everton in the Carling Cup) a bit more but football's got a habit of thinking you've turned the corner. There's no way on God's earth we will turn around and think we are okay - we are not." "It's the worst record in the history of the club and who wants to be associated with that? But that will go a long way to building confidence and the players are cock-a-hoop in the dressing room."