Songo'o secures vital point for Owls

An equaliser by loan winger Franck Songo'o eight minutes from time earnt Wednesday a vital point against league leaders Stoke City in their bid for Championship safety. The French born Portsmouth player latched on to a pass by substitute Jermaine Johnson, returning from a four match suspension, before drilling low into the corner.

The draw, Wednesday's third on the bounce, means Brian Laws' side have lost just once in their last nine league matches and was well deserved against a physical Stoke side pushing strongly for automatic promotion.

Stoke had taken a 20th minute lead when former Owl Richard Cresswell flicked a Stephen Pearson cross past Lee Grant. The goal had come about from some quick thinking from manager Tony Pulis who had kicked the ball back into the field of play to initiate a quick restart for his side.

It capped off an eventful opening quarter of the match after defender Mark Beevers had a header tipped round the post by Potters keeper Carlo Nash and Richard Hinds was forced off with an injury following a strong challenge by Newcastle United forward, on loan with Stoke, Shola Ameobi.

Stoke, who had Glenn Whelan in their side returning to Hillsborough for the first time since his January move south, almost took a two goal lead early in the second half. On this occasion Cresswell headed straight at Grant.

Graham Kavanagh, Ben Sahar and Deon Burton all fired wide for Wednesday but it was Songo'o who finally found the back of the net late on. Results elsewhere keep Wednesday in the bottom three for now but those two games in hand still place the Owls in a strong position to stay up.

Laws verdict: "We are obviously delighted to have got a point out of it. If they can continue to play in the same vein - that's one defeat in nine - then we'll get out of it." "I thought there was fortune on Stoke's side with the free-kick for Cresswell's goal. The way that they took it very quickly with the help of Tony Pulis' right boot. He kicked the ball back onto the pitch and was quite accurate. It's what you call quick thinking and a bit of quality from the manager." "Tuesday's game against Coventry is going to be even more important and it could be the night that we get out of the bottom three. I feel we are getting closer and closer."