Third from bottom in the table, they are third from the top in the table for points gained after being behind.

The Owls' tally is 16 points from games where they have trailed but still got something - a total beaten only by Stoke, 24, and Crystal Palace, 17.

It suggests that the team have a never-say-die attitude - just what you need for a relegation scrap and seen in abundance in Saturday's comeback against QPR.

With most of the first half gone, Wednesday were behind, they had struggled, and the prospect of victory looked remote for a side who had not scored twice in their previous eight matches.

The crowd were unhappy and players were tentative after their spirits were deflated by QPR's early goal, cleverly created by Rowan Vine and taken by Damien Delaney after the left-back was allowed to run a long way into the box without being picked up.

It was all going terribly wrong for a Wednesday side who were weakened by injuries and suspensions but desperately need to keep winning at home.

So what a brave decision it was by Brian Laws to make a double substitution not at half-time, which would have been the obvious time, but in the 40th minute.

Laws must have known that he could leave himself open to a charge of being influenced by the crowd, especially as a 33rd-minute mistake in the box by Enoch Showunmi, one of the players replaced, had resulted in some fans chanting for Deon Burton, which, by the way, cannot have done Showunmi's confidence any good.

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But the Owls boss showed he is his own man by even going against the advice of coaches, Russ Wilcox and Sean McAuley.

He explained: "I'm going to make a lot of decisions. Sometimes they will be really wrong and they're going to cost us the game. But I thought it needed changing there and then.

"I could have left it to half-time. But this was a message to everybody that we're not down and out and are prepared to take the risk at that time, because before that it wasn't good enough."

"My coaches didn't want me to do it. I thought that if we could have some impetus before half-time, it would give us a lift, rather than the crowd booing us."

Laws added: "It could have gone the other way."

But it didn't. The changes seemed to ginger up the team instantly, and perhaps sent a message to the other players, and when a first-class forward chip by Franck Songo'o set up Graham Kavanagh's header in injury time it marked the beginning of a transformation.

Kavanagh's personal fortunes were the same as those of the team: a poor start followed by a second half full of energy and authority.



His midfield partner, Ronnie Wallwork, was not in the best in form, trying to get into it in his first game in a month.

Nor was Showunmi, especially in the moment that offended the crowd when he should have shot with his right foot and was challenged as he came inside on his left.

Laws stressed that he was not blaming the two players who were taken off for the team's early struggle. "It could have been anybody," he said.

But he did admit that he realised Wednesday's midfield blend of Kavanagh and Wallwork was not right for the opposition and conditions.

"I needed the legs. Their two midfield players were very influential. We had to match up with them," he said.

"We were too deep. They were causing us all sorts of problems. The tactics were wrong. It wasn't the performances of the two players who were taken off - I just felt those were the areas (midfield and up front) where I could make a change and have an effect."

Maybe Laws was being rather brutally self-critical in saying he picked the wrong side.

Wallwork was the obvious replacement for the suspended Adam Bolder, even if Bolder's energy was always going to be missed; and Showunmi had a reasonably good game against West Brom.

Anyway, Sean McAllister added his drive and mobility to midfield - another success for the man who starred as a second-half sub in the defeat at Bristol City last month.

After Burton's introduction, there were signs at times that last season's excellent partnership betwen him and Marcus Tudgay was flourishing once again.

It was also a flick by Burton to Tudgay that led to a loose ball that resulted in the keeper's foul on McAllister and the match-winning penalty, stuck away convincingly by the substitute striker.

Wednesday were far more compelling in the second half, and played some good football as well as battling all the way. A score of 3-1 would not have flattered them.

QPR must have been hugely frustrated after being the better side in the first half.

Ttheir irritation showedin injury time when sub Hogen Ephraim barged into theimpressive Songo'o, for which he got the red card, and again when an extravagant flick by Songo'o over two opponents caused Rangers players to lose their heads because they thought he was taking the mickey.

So the match ended in an undignified scuffle.

But it had been a noble fightback by the Owls, and QPR manager Luigi De Canio had to admit: "We dominated the first half but didn't finalise our chances.

"Sheffield got their goal just before half-time and dominated the second half.

"They got the result they deserved."

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