His line-up was influenced by the absence of seven players who were either unwell or injured.

But the Owls produced one of their best defensive performances of the season.

Considering that it was away from home against an in-form, top-six side, their overall display, not just defending, can be considered as one of the most encouraging so far.

As players regain fitness, the manager will have to decide whether to stick with the new-look side and whether to persevere with a new 4-3-3 formation or go back to 4-4-2.

He relishes the dilemma and regards it as "brilliant" that there could be such competition for places by the time QPR visit Hillsborough on Saturday.

There seems little doubt that last Saturday's switch and the addition of a third central midfield player, Tommy Miller, had something to do with combating City's tactics. Laws had seen them play 3-5-2 in a 3-2 win at Barnsley the previous Saturday.

Laws explained: "I thought we needed to be positive in our approach. But also we needed an extra player, someone to stop their pace and stop them getting balls to feet.

"I also thought we could stretch them and make them defend as a five. The game-plan worked."

There were actually only three changes in personnel, compared to the Watford game, with Miller, Richard Hinds and Frankie Simek coming in instead of the unwell Darren Purse, Mark Beevers and Michael Gray (with the bug coming on top of Gray's hamstring injury).

But was a different Wednesday team in the wider sense. From a back four showing three alterations - as Simek came in at right-back, Hinds at centre-half and Lewis Buxton was moved into the middle - there were none of the basic mistakes that have blighted the club's season.
The defence looked solid and well-organised and so did the team.

Simek was steady, Hinds made some impressive interceptions, and you never would have guessed that it was a first league game of the season for these two. Buxton looked a very capable centre-half and adjusted perfectly though he has been used to playing right-back since he joined the Owls.

Miller gave extra aid to midfield but he could not last the course. He was one of the unwell gang and was sick at half-time.

The three up front provided attacking options, with Marcus Tudgay the focal point, and Luke Varney and Jermaine Johnson to his left and right and helping to quell City threats on the flanks when necessary.
After Miller had to go off, Johnson dropped deeper on the right, Tudgay became the right-side forward, and it was sub Leon Clarke's turn to make an impression. He added extra punch down the middle and was unluckly not to play a part in a late winner.

For Varney, his equaliser must have been a relief; he has missed some chances lately, including an early one in the first first half of this game. But his point-saver was expertly taken.

Darren Potter played a forward ball, Tudgay sent Varney away and the No 19 escaped his marker before smacking home a low shot from 22 yards.
Wednesday did not just deserve one point: they should have had all three, though I guess they and fans beforehand would have settled for a draw, in view of all the problems.

The bug removed Purse, Beevers, Gray, Akpo Sodje and Sean McAllister; Miller and Francis Jeffers were showing symptoms. Potter and James O'Connor had only just recovered, and two members of staff, match analyst Russ Storey and fitness coach Tom Little, were victims.

Richard Wood was still sidelined by his ankle injury, and Etienne Esajas pulled out an hour before the game because of a neck spasm.
It was late in the day before Laws could settle on a team and inform the players.

But "Plan F" proved to be a hit, and he rated the defending as "brilliant, considering it was a scratch team".

He added: "Frankie was the Frankie Simek of old. Lewis Buxton was exceptional at centre half, and Richard Hinds did very well."

Hinds should also have had a penalty just before the equaliser when he was chopped down from behind by centre half Jamie McCombe.

City paid Wednesday the compliment of making two substitutions at half-time and changing their system to 4-4-2. Manager Gary Johnson said his team were all at sea all afternoon.

They would have been sunk but for first-class saves by Dean Gerken from Miller, Clarke and Varney, plus a great tackle by Louis Carey on Tudgay in front of goal.

Lee Grant had only one save to make, an excellent one from a header by Marvin Elliott.

The only blot for Wednesday was City's goal. The Owls had men around strikers Danny Haynes and Nicky Maynard (Varney's former Crewe teammate) in a penalty-area scramble and there seemed to be a couple of fortunate bounces for City before somehow Maynard somehow wriggled free to poke the ball home.

At that moment, many of the 1,152 away fans will have feared that this was not going to be their team's day.

But the players showed great resilience and in the closing stages were the side most likely to win it.

City manager Johnson had to admit: "We nicked a point ... we were never at the races and it's a good result for us on a bad day."


Manager's View
I went from Plan A to Plan F, we had so many problems before the game -five first-team players ill, two carrying the bug and two recovering.

But the performance showed what we're about. We worked extremely hard.

We came here with

Bristol City enjoying a great spell and a great position in the league. Yet I thought we

deserved to win.

We had the best opportunities. I thought we should have had a blatant penalty; even the fourth official said he thought it was one.

The ref said he (Richard Hinds) slipped.

It was a great recovery by us. When we went a goal down, heads could have dropped.

We stayed

with the formation; we looked solid; we attacked with pace and caused them problems.

We were the better side. In the first half we should have been 2-0 up.