If we took away the stupid goals we won this game 1-0 and on the strength of our second half performance where, yet again, we played 12 men, we deserved all three points.
However the Vic does seem to be the division's 'Home of Goals' this season and, of course, they all count, brilliant, stupid and even ghost.
For the opening few minutes this looked like a continuation of Tuesday night. But Sheffield Wednesday were much better than Forest and for the majority of the first half did to us what we've done so succesfully to other teams recently. They played nice possession football and we got frustrated. When we did get the ball that frustration showed as our passes never quite came off. If someone got the ball in a good attacking position they were looking for the next person to pass it to, rather than thinking about the possibility of just scoring. It probably didn't help that we had Lee Williamson playing up front. An odd decision considering the fit Hoskins was on the bench.
After 20 minutes a Wednesday cross came in that Mike Williamson put out for a corner. The sun was out at that moment and it seemed to be in Loach's eyes as the ball was crossed in. He mis-judged it, and it looked like it deflected off him allowing Tudgay a very soft header to opening the scoring. Maybe next time Scott should think about borrowing one of Richard Lee's baseball caps.
For the rest of the half we looked like we were never ever going to score and needed a half time rollicking to get us back in the game. But Wednesday kindly did the work for us. A nothing ball was chased by Priskin, which panicked Beevers into trying to pass the ball back to his keeper. However he hit it too hard and it went into the net. The best own goal for the 'Orns since the 2-1 loss to Huddersfield in 2000.
The second half started in a much more hopeful vein, not least, because Hoskins had replaced Lee Williamson. We looked determined and far more ready for the fight. After 55 minutes Harley, who had not had the best of games up until then, put Cowie through down the wing. Rather than look for someone else to pass it to and go for the slow build up which hadn't worked for the rest of the game he crossed and McAnuff's header sailed over the Wednesday keeper and we were 2-1 up.
The ref, who had been okay up to this point, then seemed to morph into the guy we had on Tuesday night. There was some blatant holding and obstructing of Priskin and Hoskins going on whenever we threatened to break. But each and every time the ref gave a free kick Wednesday's way. When Priskin had almost got clear he was brought down by the last defender who should've gone. If he hadn't committed the foul Tamas would've been one on one with the keeper and we'd have won the game. But, of course, the card was yellow.
Plenty of stoppages had been allowed for Wednesday injuries but they never amounted to six minutes worth. We hadn't even made a substitution during the second half so even four minutes injury time would've been generous. If that had been the case, again, we would've won the game. But with a couple of minutes left they broke into our area and Harley got into a tangle with one of their forwards. The referee, who was well placed, surprisingly waved away appeals for a penalty. However, the linesman, who much further away, said it was and to complete his transformation into Stuart Atwell the ref went along with him. Francis Jeffers scored it despite Loach going the right way.
So, for the second time this season we are denied two points by a lineman overruling a referee. The good news was that we've moved up to 16th, the bad that we are only six points clear of the relegation zone and Barnsley in 22nd do have a game in hand over us. Hopefully we won't rue those four points dropped through the incompetence of four men in black at the beginning of May.
