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'L' of a double act seals it for Owls: MATCH REPORT AND SLIDESHOW
OWLS 1 v QPR 0: WEDNESDAY plundered three precious points with the first penalty save of Lee Grant's career and a poacher's goal from Leon Clarke at Hillsborough last night.
Their double act lifted the Owls to 10th place in the Championship and to within two points of the play-off positions.
Wednesday can take satisfaction from winning - though they were below their best - and from seeing off a QPR side who presented a stiff test.
There were moments when Rangers looked certain to end their away scoring drought but Grant and the Owls held firm, and Clarke slotted home a 75th minute winner for his fifth goal in 11 games.
The downside was a lengthened list of the unfit, with Lewis Buxton (illness) ruled out before the game, and Etienne Esajas (toe), Frankie Simek (hamstring) and sub Wade Small (eye) failing to finish it.
Wednesday had to patch up and battle on, as they have done so often in the past, and they hung on with 10 men after Small went off in the 88th minute when all the subs had been used.
Tommy Spurr's return meant the reformation for the first time this season of the back four who were the strong point of the 2007-08 campaign.
QPR were without nine-goal top scorer Dexter Blackstock because of a back injury picked up in last Saturday's 1-0 home win against Wolves but still nearly took an early lead.
After Esajas was crowded out in the Kop-end penalty area in one of Wednesday's first attacks, Rangers hit them on the break and a shot by Hogan Ephraim was beaten out at the near post by Grant, in the sixth minute.
Only three minutes after that, Wednesday had a miraculous let-off. A poor kick by Grant was food for QPR near the centre circle where Patrick Agyemang got away from Mark Beevers for a forward run and squared the ball to Heidar Helguson who was unmarked in front of goal.
It seemed that the Iceland international must score Rangers' first goal in eight away games but he was too casual as he side-footed a feeble shot with his left foot and Grant spread himself to turn the ball for a corner.
The Owls had kicked off with Esajas on the right wing and Tudgay on the left - a reversal of their roles at Southampton last Saturday.
QPR fielded two up front, Helguson and Agyemang, and a diamond formation in midfield, with big Gavin Mahon the rear point, in front of the back four.
Indeed the visitors had physical presence in almost every area.
Wednesday found it hard to break them down and made an unexciting start for the third consecutive match.
Rangers' big opportunity cropped up in the 27th minute. Right back Peter Ramage surged forward and delivered a top-class ball to the far post.
Helguson hit the deck, a penalty was given and the ref signalled a push.
The offender was Simek's left arm but it looked suspiciously like contact was minimal and the forward may have made a meal of it.
Rangers captain Martin Rowlands, scorer of a superbly struck winner against Wolves last Saturday and of his team's last away goal back in September, drove the spot kick straight and true but Grant, diving down to his right, saved it with his left leg, knocking the ball high into the air.
Wednesday had already been waiting to bring on Small and did so a minute after the penalty drama, with Esajas making way because of a suspected toe fracture.
The Owls did not manage a strike at goal until the 35th minute: a tame, long-range header floated by a tightly marked Richard Wood at the keeper from a James O'Connor corner.
Simek looked a bit disconsolate when he was taken off three minutes later because of a hamstring problem, with Steve Watson taking over at right back.
At last the Owls carved out a clear chance, in the last minute of the half: after good work from Watson and Small, Francis Jeffers had a shot charged down, a loose ball ran to Clarke, and his shot along the ground from around 10 yards flew straight at the keeper.
Wednesday fans were looking for the same second-half improvement that their team had shown in the previous two games but Grant was in action again in the 52nd minute when he was perfectly positioned to block a well-struck effort by Helguson.
Wood, a strong presence for the Owls, defended flawlessly when he was last man against a run from Agyemang.
QPR were tall, strong, well organised, dominant in air in their box, and occasionally dangerous on the break but did not punch their weight in the attacking third.
Grant had to dig out a drive by Agyemang with his fingers tips and the Kop breathed again.
Wednesday applied a bit of pressure and forced some scrambles but needed something extra if they were to pierce stubborn opposition and sub Bartosz Slusarski, on for Jeffers, nearly provided it, taking a good pass from Small and cutting the ball back to Sean McAllister, whose low shot sped into the keeper's hands.
The goal soon followed, with Slusarksi feeding the ball forward into the box to Tudgay; the top scorer's shot was blocked by the keeper, but Clarke was following up, as good strikers do, to ram the rebound low into the net.
Small's exit forced the 10-man Owls to switch to a 4-4-1 system for the last few minutes and strive primarily to preserve their lead. The mission was accomplished and handily-placed Wednesday are now unbeaten in four games, with another home match to come on Saturday.
CLICK ON GREEN PLAY BUTTON ABOVE TO SEE MATCH PICTURES
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Blades Watch 08-09 - The Season So Far
Owls Watch 08-09 - The Season So Far
Watch Premiership highlights, international football, golf, tennis, darts and much more
Football headlines
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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