Wednesday 1-1 Forest

Marcus Tudgay’s first-half strike ensured Wednesday maintained their unbeaten home record so far this season in a closely-fought clash with Nottingham Forest at the weekend.

The former Derby striker’s deflected shot gave the Owls a deserved share of the spoils after Dexter Blackstock had put the visitors into an early lead just two minutes into the clash.

After the match, both managers had reason to complain about their opponents – Laws insisting Forest had turned up with spoiling tactics, while Davies moaned of the Owls’ long-ball approach.

Both could justify their ramblings, in a game that wasn’t pleasing on the eye, but bore a fair result on the day between two sides going into the clash full of confidence following victories last time out.

Wednesday made one change to the side that won at Plymouth last time out, with Tommy Miller coming in to make a first league start for the Owls after James O’Connor was ruled out through injury.

Forest came racing out of the traps though and made a blistering start to take an early lead in the game and leave the hosts shell-shocked.

Joe Garner saw his effort well saved by Grant within a minute, but there was nothing the Owls number one could do from a dangerous Paul Anderson cross just a minute later when he provided Blackstock with a perfect opportunity to head by Grant and put the visitors one up.

Former Liverpool winger Anderson was causing problems all day, and looked the main threat from Davies’ men with his pace, causing Lewis Buxton problems throughout.

As early as the opening goal was in the game, Forest looked to waste as much time as possible, tactics unfortunately linked with Davies from his time at Preston – and it looked like more of the same on Saturday to the frustrations of the home fans.

But Wednesday slowly got back into the game and started to control possession as the first half progressed, without causing too many problems to Lee Camp’s goal, although Tudgay did fire two efforts high and wide.

The hosts were starting to show some of the form that allowed them a 4-0 victory over Scunthorpe last time out at home, but as good as Wednesday were looking in attack, they were as vulnerable at the back as the visitors hit on the break.

It could have been 2-0, Anderson again the architect as he cut back for Blackstock inside the box, but he cut his effort just wide of goal when he really should have done better.

Wednesday continued to enjoy the majority of the possession, and although not threatening Camp, the home fans could sense that something was coming sooner rather than later.

And it did so just six minutes before the interval when Forest failed to deal with a cross and Tudgay was well-positioned to drill home a deflected effort which gave Camp no chance and give the hosts the momentum going into the break.

Forest may have started the first half the brighter but Brian Laws’ half-time team talk saw Wednesday come out all guns blazing on the resumption to keep Forest penned in their own half for the opening exchanges.

The Owls were still struggling with finding their frontmen, with the Forest defence comfortably dealing with the long balls that were thrown forward in search of Tudgay and Varney.

Jet-heeled winger Jermaine Johnson, who’s enjoyed a brilliant start to the new season, had been relatively quiet throughout the match, unable to get up to pace to cause the visitors and problems.

The chances and attacking play dried up somewhat on the resumption, although Varney and Richard Wood did come close, while Blackstock’s deflected effort gave Grant problems at the other end.

Anderson saw a long-range effort palmed away by Grant relatively comfortably, and substitutions from both teams saw the game stop and start, Akpo Sodje being introduced for Wednesday but having little effect, while Sean McAllister and Mark Beevers were also introduced, the latter for the injured Wood.

Forest perhaps edged the game in the final ten minutes, but never looked like grabbing a winner as the referee’s whistle brought time to a relatively even contest.

Full-Time: Wednesday 1-1 Forest