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Jeffers and Sodje to the rescue as Owls beat Preston: SLIDESHOW
Sheffield Wednesday 2 v Preston 1 COMEBACK duo Akpo Sodje and Francis Jeffers could be the Owls strike partnership of the future.
Sodje's pace and power complement Jeffers' touch and cleverness - and both showed clinical finishing and composure yesterday as their goals turned a torrid encounter into triumph.
Brian Laws played his part by sending on Jeffers and Etienne Esajas as subs for the second half.
They helped to change the game, and how it needed changing after one of the season's worst 45-minute periods, with the Owls looking lethargic in their second game in less than 48 hours.
Wednesday stepped it up in the second half: Sodje netted his sixth goal in his last nine appearances; Jeffers put away a penalty emphatically for his second goal for the club.
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Laws had relied on much the same side that lost at Hull; Jermaine Johnson returned after missing two games with a gashed foot, and Marcus Tudgay dropped to the bench.
Preston fired an early warning - a fierce 25-yarder from former simon Whaley which was touched over the bar by Lee Grant.
Wednesday struggled to create anything in the early stages and played too many misplaced passes, none more telling than the back-pass from Lee Bullen that gifted Preston a 35th minute lead.
The ball ran to striker Karl Hawley,who had the momentum to go past Grant easily and slot it into the empty net.
Bullen was clearly mortified; he bent forward with his hands on his knees and reflected on his mistake. Some boos came from the stand the next time he touched the ball. The Kop, to their credit, tried to lift his spirits with a chant of "there's only one Lee Bullen."
Wednesday tried in vain to get into their stride going forward and kept being attacked on the break. After one such Preston raid forced a corner, the Owls survived an intense scramble in the six-yard box before Grant was able to fall on the ball.
The Owls desperately needed a lift and Laws sought to provide it by bringing on Jeffers and Esajas for the second half. Johnson and Deon Burton were taken off.
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All sport categories Although Esajas is a left winger he was handed Johnson's spot on the right and set about his his task with enthusiasm.
When the equaliser came it was thanks to a comical misjudgement by Lonergan.
After Burton O'Brien punted a long ball forward and Sodje gave chase, the keeper came out of his area and jumped to try to head clear but the ball bounced over his head and Sodje ran on to volley gently home from almost the same spot from which Hawley had scored.
The goal lifted the crowd and inspired Wednesday to go up a gear at last.
Esajas struck a terrific shot from 25 yards and sent Lonergan flying through the air to made a spectacular save.
Jeffers tried to cash in on a mistake by Chilvers: his first shot was blocked and the second flew across goal.
Preston amused the crowd with some clumsy defending; the Owls must have sensed that the match could be theirs.
A fine ball out of defence by Bullen sent Esajas away to beat his marker and deliver a cross that very nearly found the head of a rejuvenated sodje.
But Wednesday would have been jolted by an equaliser totally against the run of play had it not been for fantastic goalkeeping by Grant.
It seemed that Hawley must score with a free bullet header from a fine cross by Whaley.
Grant stopped it acrobatically, pushing the ball on to the bar, and then defied Hawley from the follow-up.
Tudgay's arrival in place of Folly was the signal for the sub to go on the right flank and Esajas to be switched to his normal position on the left.
Sodje leaped high for a header from a bouncing ball and brought a sharp save from Lonergan down to his right. Esajas fired just over the top from 25 yards.
But the match see-sawed in a dramatic two-minute spell.
Two Preston sub strikers had been on the field for only seconds when they carved out a great chance.
From Neil Mellor's pass, Andy Carroll slotted a sitter wide.
Then Ejasas launched a cross to the far post where Tudgay volleyed.
The ball struck Hill and a penalty for handball was awarded - harsh, as the ball sped straight at the left back from close range.
Jeffers smashed the spot kick into Lonergan's bottom right-hand corner though the keeper dived the right way.
Wednesday had a scare in stoppage time when an attempted clearance by Bullen landed near the box and caused pressure and Whaley whipped a shot past the angle.
Then relief descended on Hillsborough as the Owls recorded an important first win in seven games.
n In memory of Phil O'Donnell, there was a minute’s applause before the match, flags flew at half-mast and players wore black armbands.
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
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