Laws hails Preston comeback as 'Biggest win yet'

This report from Sporting-Life:

Francis Jeffers lifted the gloom over Hillsborough with a late penalty winner to give Sheffield Wednesday a 2-1 win over fellow Championship strugglers Preston.

Jeffers, making his second appearance off the substitutes' bench since damaging ankle ligaments in October, held his nerve to put his spot kick into the bottom corner after Preston's Matt Hill was adjudged to have handled. Preston striker Karl Hawley seized on Owls defender Lee Bullen's blunder to give the visitors a deserved half-time lead, but Akpo Sodje levelled for the home side five minutes into the second half.

The Owls had slumped into the bottom three following Saturday's defeat at Hull, but just about deserved their first league win in seven matches after looking a transformed outfit in the second period. Second-bottom Preston had lost successive home games over the Christmas period, but had won their previous two away matches and were good value after being gifted a half-time lead.

But the Owls' double half-time substitution of Jeffers and Dutch winger Etienne Esajas sparked Brian Laws' side into life and helped lift them out of the relegation zone. Simon Whaley, an unexpected starter after limping out of Saturday's home defeat to Cardiff with a muscle strain, almost gave the visitors a 16th-minute lead, but his shot was saved at full stretch by Owls goalkeeper Lee Grant.

Whaley's ambitious free-kick then flew wide, as did Darren Carter's effort from 25 yards before Owls striker Deon Burton responded with a long-range effort for the home side, who soaked up plenty of early pressure. Wednesday midfielder Glenn Whelan twice tried his luck from 30 yards, but both efforts were off target before Preston were handed a first-half lead. Bullen under-hit a routine back-pass to Grant and former Carlisle striker Hawley pounced to race through on goal and side-foot home his second goal of the season.

Jermaine Johnson made way for Esajas during the interval and Jeffers replaced Deon Burton. The double substitution paid almost instant dividends, with Sodje firing his third goal in five matches to bring the Owls level. Burton O'Brien found space out wide and his ball back across the face of goal was despatched right-footed from close range by the bustling striker.

The home side were transformed. Preston goalkeeper Andy Lonergan saved brilliantly to deny Esajas giving the Owls the lead from 25 yards soon after, with the Dutchman then seeing a similar effort blocked by Callum Davidson. Jeffers went close with an angled shot from inside the penalty area, while at the other end Grant pulled of his second decisive save of the match when keeping out Paul Gallagher's fine header from Whaley's cross.

Preston substitute Andy Carroll then missed the target from six yards before Preston defender Hill appeared to handle Marcus Tudgay's shot in the 82nd minute and Jeffers coolly converted from the spot.

Laws verdict: "We've asked them both to come off the treatment table and play and they've been magnificent, especially Akpo - who's come through two 90-minute appearances in the space of a few days." "I thought both teams were poor in the first half but we were more positive in the second half and we got a little bit of fortune for the equaliser." "It was a scrappy game and we needed a spark. The supporters did their bit by really getting behind us."