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Tudgay tears a strip off Saints: MATCH REPORT AND SLIDESHOW
SOUTHAMPTON 1 v SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 1: WEDNESDAY will try to learn a lesson of the last two games as they bid to climb the Championship table.
They left Southampton encouraged by a second-half fightback and by the knowledge that they very nearly pulled off a stunning victory.
But for the 1,206 away following (Saints' official figure] there were times when the game was uncomfortably similar to part of the previous weekend's 3-2 home win against Norwich.
Wednesday were second best once again in the first half. Once again Brian Laws could not wait for half time and a chance to redirect the troops.
This week's work and words at Middlewood look set to focus on ways of making sure that the team turn in first-half performances that are more compelling.
Laws admitted: "This was indentical to the Norwich game. We sat too deep and allowed them too much space."
The Owls boss said with confidence that he was not worried that it had happened again: "We can change that, it's just a matter of stepping 10 yards further up the field."
What makes Saturday's first half all the more puzzling is that Wednesday knew what to expect from Saints. "Every report I've had on Southampton has been excellent," said the manager.
"They have no fear. They want the ball; they move it well. If you give teams like that space, they will hurt you. He (Jan Poortvliet] has got them playing good football but in the second half half they were panicking - maybe that's the thing Southampton have to change.
"Credit to my team - they were excellent in the second half."
There were also shades of the Owls v Doncaster game in the opening 45 minutes, with the opposition producing the passing and movement that everyone had expected.
I suppose it's easy to predict a team's style of play, harder to do something about it when you're out on that pitch and they are proving to be very good at it.
Wednesday also seemed unsettled by Saints' system of only one front man and an emphasis on numerical advantage in midfield, an area that saw sharp passing and control. The home team's goal was a first class effort from Bradley Wright-Phillips.
The right-footed left winger cut inside past Frankie Simek and shot into the far bottom corner with his right foot. Laws said that Simek accepted resonsibility: "We wanted Frankie to get tight on Wright-Phillips and to keep him on his left foot."
In this situation however the attacker can take some stopping, as the Owls have shown at times when Jermaine Johnson and Etienne Esajas have played on the left and right respectively and cut in to shoot with their stronger foot.
Another shot by Wright-Phillips could have spelt curtains for Wednesday had it not been met by an impressive save from Lee Grant, who also had to dive courageously at the feet of Rudi Skacel. Deep-lying forward David McGoldrick sneaked up to head a chance past the angle just before half time.
It would be oversimplistic to say that the first half was completely one-sided, for the Owls were doing ok until Southamp-ton scored, and they had occasional moments going forward.
But an increase in tempo and forcefulness was clear to see from the opening moments of the second half.
An exceptional tackle from centre half Alex Pearce prevented Leon Clarke notching his fifth goal in 10 games.
Wednesday repeatedly forced Southampton into their own half, and it was the home team's turn to look uncomfortable.
The defensively solid Lewis Buxton, who has done a tremendous job at left back considering that it is not really his position, joined in Wednesday's attack forays with a couple of storming runs.
But Saints grafted hard enough to prevent the Owls' from making clear-cut opportunities, until the 84th minute when Marcus Tudgay fluffed what appeared at the time to be a rare and precious chance.
He shot horribly past the angle from 10 yards after sub Wade Small put him in the clear, and the No 7 reacted with visible dismay. So maybe it was relief as well as elation that led to Tudgay's ecstatic, shirt-removing celebration only three minutes later after he had scored the equaliser.
It was a goal taken with composure and precision, one that showed he had not lost his cool despite that miss. Small, again, played a part in the build-up; Clarke touched the ball sideways, and Tudgay side-footed the ball firmly into the bottom corner from 22 yards.
Tudgay, an influential figure, particularly in the second half, also carved out the opening that could have given Wednesday an amazing, last-gasp win, in the second minute of injury time.
Bartosz Slusarski was put through and belted a volley; somehow Kelvin Davis got in the way of it to make an unbelievable save and show why he has been getting some rave reviews recently.
Wednesday, too, deserve plaudits.
By adding this point to the three they picked up convincingly at Blackpool, they showed that they are restoring some sanity to their away record, and once again the resilience was there, from the team who battled back to beat Norwich.
Tudgay's goal, his seventh of the season, was his third in the last three games. At the moment he is the epitomy of a key player: he got a breakthrough goal in the win at Blackpool, the winner against Norwich, and now this point-earner at St Mary's.
After taking seven points from the last three matches, Wednesday can only feel self-assured as they head into this week's home games against QPR and Bristol City.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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