Owls crumble without a word

NEVER has there been a better example of the truth in the saying that goals change games.

An early two-goal lead for Wednesday steadied them and sentenced Charlton to an anxious first half plus derision from fans impatient for a first win of the season.

But there was always a suspicion that the nature of the match would change if a side of the Addicks' quality got a sniff of encouragement from a breakthrough strike.

Sure enough, Alan Pardew's side did get back in it and then gave Wednesday a roasting in the hot sun.

If only the Owls, increasingly tentative after half-time, had hung on a bit longer instead of conceding only six minutes into the second half; if only they had gone 3-1 up, as they might well have done.

Brian Laws' analysis of the video, besides centring on his team's defensive flaws, seems certain to include a close assessment of exactly why Richard Wood's header from a corner was disallowed. Celebrations were curtailed by the ref giving a foul.

The danger now is that the Owls' morale will be damaged by the knowledge that they can go two up and still not be sure of winning; the leakiness of last season is still there.

Laws admits that he has work to do; he believes that the team is short of experience and leadership - Steve Watson's second consecutive absence with a stomach strain was no help - and will seek help from the transfer market before the deadline is reached at the end of this week.

Wade Small, ruled out on Saturday by a hamstring strain suffered in training, should be fit in 10 days, as should Francis Jeffers.

The withdrawal of a quiet Jermaine Johnson in the second half was down to a need for fresh legs, explained Laws; Leon Clarke was ill on Friday and faded; sub Marcus Tudgay was not 100 per cent because of his shoulder problem but was prepared to give it a go..

If everyone was well in mind and body then obviously it would help.

But Wednesday seem to have problems of various kinds - transfer-market snags among them - and have yet to bed down a settled and on-form team.

There have been bright spots along the way. Their start on Saturday, for example, was outstanding.

Burton O'Brien, who has shown in the past that he has a sweet left foot, volleyed home with his right, at the end of a move begun when Madjid Bougherra gave the ball away.

Tommy Spurr had waited a long time for his first goal and got it by outjumping a defender to put away a neat header from an O'Brien corner.Wednesday were disciplined and industrious in the first half, looking balanced and keeping their shape and doing simple things reasonably well. Charlton were poor and could not make a clear-cut chance

Laws reflected: "Richard Hinds came in (for a debut) and did a great job in the first half; Burton O'Brien did a solid job and kept the shape well and got himself a great goal."

But it all started to go wrong for the Owls. Charlton scored early in the second period, and after that there were times when Wednesday could not get out of their own half - when they did try to make progress into enemy territory, the ball was coming straight back.

The outcome was not due only to Wednesday shortcomings. Some of Charlton's play showed their Premiership pedigree.

For their first goal, Darren Ambrose defied Spurr's attentions to get in a right-wing cross, and a clever feint by Andy Reid made space for himself before he picked his spot, without any hindrance from an opponent.

Pardew also made some good substitutions. China captain Zheng Zhi added vision to midfield and made the equaliser with an incisive pass to Chris Iwelumo, who, with three defenders near to him, was neither caught offside nor closed down as he shot into the bottom corner.

For the winner, the ball was played up to Iwelumo's feet again; he half-turned for a run across the box, lost his marker, Hinds, and was not blocked by anyone else before he finished precisely again.

Pardew had also made changes during the game by swapping around his wide men around and bringing on the crafty Svetoslav Todorov as a half-time sub.

Laws admitted that the conceding of 10 goals in the first three League games has been "a slap in the face".

He said: "We have to change it. We have work to do.

"At the moment we are lacking real experience and drive.

" They're too quiet as individuals.

The team spirit needs to be upped. It's nowhere near where it should be."

Pardew said he expected the victory to get his team's season going.

"It was a strange game. We were disfunctional in the first half. We changed things around in the second half," he mused.

"The response from the players, particular our quality players, was enough to win us the game."

Manager's View

We had a fantastic start. Everything went well with our organisation. We were comfortable.

We dealt with everything they had.

We got a two-goal cushion.

At half-time we said we wanted more of the same and we had to work really hard, starting

from the front.

But we dropped so deep in the first minutes of the second half that we invited trouble, and that's what we got.

I'm really angry about it.

The gap between our strikers and midfield players was too big.

And when we allow their striker to turn and have two shots (which brought goals), it's not right.

Charlton got that all-important first goal, and after that we fell apart.

We caved in like a pack of cards.