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Old boy haunts Owls on eve of Hallowe'en: MATCH REPORT AND SLIDESHOW
Sheffield Wednesday 0 v Plymouth Argyle 1: IT is hard to say who appeared to cast the biggest spell on Wednesday three days before Hallowe'en.
Referee Graham Laws is unwittingly a jinx on the Owls as they have never won when he has been in charge - a run that now stetches over 10 games going back eight years.
It was also a bad omen when Paul Sturrock handed Steve MacLean his first start in two months.
Didn't you just know that MacLean was going to get a goal against his old club?
It turned out to be the difference between the sides.
The non-superstitious verdict on the match has to be that Wednesday dominated the play but too rarely looked like scoring and were foiled by stout defending.
Manager Brian Laws put it rather neatly by saying his team didn't deserve to lose but didn't do enough to win.
MacLean's effort ended the Owls' unbeaten home record and was the first goal they have conceded in their last five Hillsborough games.
"Offside," thought many fans, when the striker appeared to be all alone behind the Wednesday defence.
A corner had been cleared beyond the edge of the Wednesday box and defender David McNamee headed the ball back towards goal. MacLean chested it down, turned and poked it home from six yards as Lee Grant came out at him.
Replays on Hillsborough's internal TV system at half-time didn't quite show where MacLean was at the instant the ball was played forward. But it did illustrate that it travelled a fair way before it reached the striker, who is only just behind his marker as he comes into shot and may well have been onside at the moment the ball was headed.
MacLean's sudbued celebration in front of the Kop seemed to be a reflection of his Wednesday past.
It was a more contentious decision when a goal by Sean McAllister was disallowed in the 43rd minute.
A long kick by Grant was headed down by Leon Clarke; Francis Jeffers nodded the ball through the middle where Clarke and McAllister were making ground and the latter slotted it past the keeper.
Some thought offside had wrongly been given. Laws says the decision was a foul by Clarke on a defender.
"It had nothing to do with Sean; he was clean through," said the Owls boss. So McAllister was a touch unlucky not to record his second goal of the season.
Other than that, Wednesday never quite showed a clinical touch around the box; nor did they get any breaks.
They looked poised to be first to score when Steve Watson shaped for a shot in front of the Leppings Lane goal but a defender's boot hooked the ball against the Owls club captain and it bounced for a goal kick.
Jeffers controlled a high ball by Richard Wood into the box and saw his well-hit shot deflected for a corner.
A crisp lay-off by Jeffers made a 20th minute chance. Clarke struck his shot powerfully from 14 yards but it flew wide.
Another opportunity followed two minutes later. Clarke teed up a 16-yard drive for Jermaine Johnson and the ball sped along the ground to the keeper as the winger reacted with a gesture of frustration.
Wednesday found it hard to open Plymouth up and when a great cross from Peter Gilbert threatened to do so the danger was ended by fine defending at the far post.
The Owls were often forced to play it back or square, or launch high balls up to Clarke, or rely on wingers Johnson and Etienne Ejasas to make something out of nothing against defenders who usually blocked the way.
Plymouth had spent most of the opening 45 minutes in their own half and they were pinned there again in the early part of the second half.
With the Owls straining for a breakthrough, Laws made a double substitution in the 57th minute.
Frankie Simek came on for Richard Wood, who played despite having been suffering from sickness and diarrhoea, and Deon Burton took over from Jeffers. Simek went to right-back and Lewis Buxton switched to centre-half.
Burton had been on for only a minute when he hooked the ball down the inside-left channel and sent Clarke racing away from his marker and seemingly into a scoring position.
But Craig Cathcart just about stayed with him and made a great tackle.
A half-chance was driven over the bar from a tight angle by Burton as the Owls' frustration continued.
McAllister had the next opportunity, lobbing over the top from the edge of the area after being found by a crossfield ball by Esajas.
The winger made way for Akpo Sodje soon after that.
Loads of possession and waves of attacks foundered on disciplined, strong defending. Wednesday could not get in behind the Pilgrims, who were also dominant in the air around their own box.
The Owls merited some reward and they should have got it during the last of five extra minutes.
Steve Watson played a pass to Tommy Spurr, Burton took over with a ball into the area and from somewhere around the penalty spot Johnson shot wide.
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MANAGERS' VIEWS
Brian Laws: I've just seen Paul (Sturrock) walk out the door with his mask on - it was smash and grab. They have got a goal then just sat back and defended. They defended well.
We had about 90 per cent of the play. We didn't have the guile. We had two wingers who didn't perform anywhere near how they can.
I was really disappointed with our wide play. Our forwards were feeding off scraps.
You have to get around the sides of the other team. Neither of the wide men did it in dangerous areas.
From my angle the goal looked offside but the replay shows we were slow to come out; he was about level, so it's a goal.
We had enough time to get an equaliser. The first half saw our best play.
Paul Sturrock: Against Derby two weeks ago we played very well and had several chances. We came here and didn't play very well; we got a goal and rolled our sleeves up and battled.
It shows it's swings and roundabouts this game of football.
Better teams than us will come here this season and be beaten. We can play much better than that.
But you have to give credit to Sheffield Wednesday. They have an attack-minded team and it seems to work at home. I was pleased to come away with a result.
What do you think? Post your comments below.
READ MORE
Wednesdayite writing to club board: CLICK HERE FOR STORY
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
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Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
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