Report: Neil Emblen
replaced Darren Bazeley in the Walsall backline as the Saddlers went
3-5-2. Jamie Lawrence made the bench after recovering from injury.
It was your typical end of season
encounter with neither side really looking interested during the first
half. If any side had the better of the half it was certainly the
Saddlers with both Barass and Junior having good chances. Kuqi looked to
be the Owls danger man, but he failed to trouble the Walsall back 3.
The second half saw Leitao and
O'Connor being replaced by Matias and Lawrence. It was Matias who
sent the Saddlers in front on 56 minutes with a low shot from just
inside the penalty which the Owls keeper had little chance of spotting
due to the amount of boxes inside the penalty area.
The Wednesday equalizer came
courtesy of Sub Lloyd Owusu who was watched by the Saddlers defenders as
the ball dropped to his feet just yards away from the Walsall goal. He
wasted no time in putting the ball in to the back of the net and the
Owls were back in the game.
Owusu went on to dominate the
closing stages of the game, providing the Owls with a physical presence
in the final third (something we lacked after Jorge's substitution). He
had 2 or 3 half chances and eventually laid on the winner for Owls
player of the season James Quinn who hammered the ball home as Roper
hesitated to make a challenge as he shot.