Sheffield United fan Neil Warnock inadvertently boosted Sheffield Wednesday's chances of Championship survival on Tuesday evening as he led his Queens Park Rangers side to a 1-0 home win against a struggling Watford side.
With QPR already assured of safety going into the game the visitors had a lot more riding on the result but credit must go to Warnock who acknowledged the need for his side to show professionalism and integrity going into this fixture. The former Sheffield United manager, who has been critical of other fielding weakened teams in the past, stated that he would like to give run outs to a few fringe players and try various tactical ideas before the end of the season stated that it would be unfair on the other teams at the wrong end of the table if he were to have done this for this fixture and this is more likely to happen in their final two games which are against teams that have little to play for - mid-table Barnsley and Newcastle who have already clinched the title.
True to his word the QPR boss made only two changes to the side that lost to Cardiff last time out and won the game thanks to a first-half penalty from Akos Buzsaky. In truth Warnock would more than likely like to see his former club Crystal Palace survive having left them in difficult circumstances earlier in the season and the result will have pleased both Owls and Eagles fans as it keeps another club in trouble with just one relegation spot left to be filled.
Elsewhere Scunthorpe secured a point that secured their Championship safety, coming from two down in the final ten minutes to draw 2-2 at home to Reading.
With two games to go Wednesday are one point behind Palace and two behind Watford with goal difference very much against them. The Owls must match the results of either side in their penultimate game in order to guarantee taking the issue into the final game of the season.
Wednesday travel to Cardiff City on Saturday and Watford face a home game against a Reading side with little to play for. If Watford pick up a point or more and the Owls fail to beat Cardiff they will then face an anxious wait until Monday evening when Palace host WBA as an Eagles win would then condemn Wednesday to league one before the two teams meet on the final day of the season.
With this in mind it is imperative that the Owls approach their match in Wales in a positive manner as the cautious approach that they have appeared to adopt of late has brought them little joy with only one win in the last ten games.