More home joy for Irvine's Owls

09 February 2010 21:47
James O'Connor headed home in fine style with barely two minutes on the clock to give the Owls early momentum and midfield partner Darren Potter added a sweet second five minutes into the second period.[LNB]Potter's first goal since August was the second perfectly-executed finish, hardly in keeping with a drab encounter that was otherwise short on quality.[LNB]But most in a crowd of 19,058 will care little about how Wednesday keep chalking up the wins.[LNB]This was their fifth in seven league matches since Alan Irvine arrived at the club early last month with the remit of ensuring Championship football next season.[LNB]Blackpool's season is beginning to unravel. The Seasiders, just two points adrift of the play-offs going into the match, have slumped to three successive defeats and have won only one of their last eight in the league.[LNB]The Owls were unchanged from the side that made a fist of it on Saturday before being edged out at Nottingham Forest, but Blackpool manager Ian Holloway made sweeping changes.[LNB]Barry Bannan, Neal Eardley and Ishmel Demontagnac were all dropped for partying in a Blackpool nightclub on Saturday night, while goalkeeper Paul Rachubka, Jason Euell, Rob Edwards, Andy Butler and DJ Campbell all returned to the side.[LNB]Wednesday made a flying start thanks to full-back Tommy Spurr's storming run and cross down the left wing.[LNB]Spurr picked out the unmarked O'Connor eight yards from goal and the Owls midfielder rose to plant a firm header into the top corner in the second minute.[LNB]Michael Gray blazed Varney's lay-off over the crossbar and at the other end Euell flashed his effort off target, but after half-an-hour neither goalkeeper had been troubled.[LNB]The visitors then burst into life momentarily, breaking swiftly with Campbell heading Stephen Dobbie's right-wing cross just wide.[LNB]Wednesday almost scored within two minutes of the restart when Potter's deflected shot from the edge of the penalty area forced Rachubka into a smart save.[LNB]But Potter left the visiting goalkeeper flailing at thin air in the 50th minute.[LNB]The Owls midfielder controlled Varney's short pass 18 yards out and deftly turned inside his marker before curling a low left-footed shot inside Rachubka's right-hand post.[LNB]Wednesday central defender Darren Purse displayed his growing stature with a superb-timed tackle to deny Campbell in the area.[LNB]Rachubka saved well to deny the home side a third goal in the 67th minute after Tom Soares had picked out Varney 10 yards from goal.[LNB]Blackpool stepped it up in the last quarter but lacked the urgency in front of goal to catch a solid Wednesday rearguard flat-footed.[LNB][LNB]

Source: Team_Talk