Sheffield Wednesday produced a spirited and organised display at promotion hopefuls West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday evening but lost out to a quality goal from Robert Koren ten minutes from time, a result that sees them remain in the bottom three in the Coca-Cola Championship.
Elsewhere it was a mixed evening for some of the other struggling sides in the division with Ipswich and QPR the big winners. The Tractor Boys 2-0 home victory over Cardiff takes them four points clear of the Owls and a second win in a week for new Rangers boss Neil Warnock, this time 2-0 against struggling Plymouth has edged the Londoners five points clear of the drop zone.
Thankfully it wasn’t just Wednesday that failed to pick up points near the bottom of the table. A home defeat for Crystal Palace against Bristol means the Eagles are still only above the Owls by virtue o a far superior goal difference. Watford also lost at home with a goal by former Owls Shefki Kuqi providing Swansea with three points.
Watford are one of four teams within three points of Wednesday but all of these teams have games in hand over the Owls. Reading are also in this group but they have played three less than the Owls. The Royals are at home to Derby this evening who are only five points clear of the relegation zone themselves.
Wednesday face a tough trip to Swansea on Saturday, the second of three consecutive away games and they can ill-afford to lose them all. Every defeat puts more pressure on the remaining fixtures with a minimum of five more wins thought to be needed to keep the club in the Championship.
Elsewhere on Saturday Ipswich have the opportunity to put distance between themselves and a fellow struggler as they face Scunthorpe at home, Watford also have a presentable opportunity to pick up some much needed points at home to bottom of the table Peterborough and Crystal Palace travel to South Yorkshire to face Barnsley.