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Owls duo back in old routine: MATCH REPORT AND SLIDESHOW
BLACKPOOL 0 v SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 2: WEDNESDAY'S former first-choice strike partnership of Marcus Tudgay and Deon Burton got back in the old routine last night and earned the Owls a timely and deserved victory.
They were not strictly together, for Burton was playing up front and Tudgay on the right side of midfield, but they were united in relief as their lean spells came to an end.
Burton scored his first goal of the season, Tudgay his first in nine outings.
It was just the right tonic for a duo who have had prolific spells in the past and just the result that the Owls needed after a dip in fortunes, poor away form and a meagre scoring spell for the whole team.
Last night they were the better side for the second consecutive game and this time got their just reward, also keeping an away clean sheet for the first time this season and condemning Blackpool to a fourth consecutive defeat.
The return of Burton was a surprise after Brian Laws praised Francis Jeffers last Saturday.
But the Owls manager explained: "Franny was excellent, but he hasn't played three games in a week for about a year; he came off on Saturday with a bit of cramp. We have to take care of him - there was an opportunity to give Deon a chance."
Burton seized it by heading home an Etienne Esajas corner, to kill off the Seasiders in the 86th minute.
Tudgay had powered Wednesday into a 61st minute lead with a header from a great cross by sub Esajas, whose own opportunity had arisen when Jermaine Johnson went off with a slightly twisted knee. He should be fit for Saturday.
Wednesday were the more authoritative and cohesive side from the start.
They continually pressed Blackpool back into their own half, and had only the occasional set piece or counter-attack to defend against.
The first half chance came in the 22nd minute when Seasiders right winger Gary Taylor-Fletcher fired high over the bar and into the wasteland behind Lee Grant's goal.
A deflected shot by Tudgay from longer range whizzed over the top and counted as a near miss for the Owls.
When Taylor-Fletcher drove a decent low ball to the near post Richard Wood's close marking of Kabba prevented the former United striker from doing anything more than touch it wide.
The Owls looked very solid and well organised at the back.
After Burton struck a 20-yarder just over the top, they came close to nicking the lead in the 40th minute through an incisive move.
Tudgay played a crisp ball into the box to Leon Clarke, who laid it off, and Sean McAllister hit a first-time effort low past Paul Rachubka's left-hand post from around 14 yards.
It was a good chance.
But on the stroke of 45 minutes suddenly Wednesday were in trouble after Johnson, expecting an overlap by the nearby Buxton which didn't happen, passed to no-one inside the Blackpool box.
The misunderstanding resulted in the Seasiders breaking forward into the space left by the Owls left back; Wood was beaten for just about the only time in the half, and a volley by forward Alan Gow hit the post down to the left of the diving Grant.
Watson was sent on after half time because McAllister was feeling unwell.
Wednesday applied intense pressure in the first few minutes of the second half.
Clarke, tightly marked, could not quite dig the ball out for a clean shot at goal.
Johnson, chased by three defenders, hammered a 17-yard effort that was beaten out by Rachubka at his near post.
Soon afterwards the Owls winger limped off, and his replacement was on the field for only four minutes before he created the first goal.
His measured cross from the outer left-hand corner of the box found Tudgay running in unchallenged; from 10 yards out and just to the right of goal he bulleted a header over the keeper and just under the bar, showing the composure that Laws had been demanding from his players.
It was Tudgay's fifth goal of the season and he remains the Owls' top League scorer.
Wednesday owed almost as much to a superb block by James O'Connor six minutes later in a spell of pressure from the home side. Gow had skipped past one challenge for a free shot inside the area. But O'Connor threw himself in the way and earned grateful pats from team-mates.
Blackpool sub Stephen McPhee was hurt in an innocuous challenge only a minute after going on the field and was taken off soon afterwards.
Clarke might have done better than fire an 18-yard half chance high over the bar after precise build-up between Esajas and Burton.
Wednesday needed a second goal and nearly got it in the 80th minute. Clarke knocked down a kick from Grant on the edge of the box and Burton swivelled, volleyed and saw his shot touched on to the bar by Rachubka.
Six minutes later Burton had his goal, forcing home a header at the far post from a precise right-side corner from Esajas. The striker, visibly relieved rather than exultant, disappeared among a mob of happy team-mates.
In stoppage time, Wednesday kept the bonus of a clean sheet thanks to defender Shaun Barker sending a free header over the bar, and Clarke could have made a convincing win more emphatic when he jabbed the ball
just over the top from a near-post cross by Tony McMahon.
CLICK ON GREEN PLAY BUTTON ABOVE FOR MATCH PICTURES
MANAGER'S VIEW: Brian Laws: "We deserved to win. We started strongly and had some good link-up play up front and some good energy. We really should have taken the lead in the first half.
"It was important in the second half that we stayed firm. When we got the first goal it settled us down, then we got the second and could have had three or four.
"The first goal was the first bit of quality in terms of crossing - that's what Etienne Esajas is capable of.
If you want anybody on the end of it, it's Marcus Tudgay. He finished it superbly.
"That will give him confidence.
"The biggest cheer of the day must go to Deon Burton.
"I'm delighted that he's got his goal."
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Blades Watch 08-09 - The Season So Far
Owls Watch 08-09 - The Season So Far
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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