For the second weekend in a row Sheffield Wednesday produced two very different halves of football. At Wolves last Saturday the Owls were forced into a tactical change at half-time with injury forcing a substitution and a change of shape which appeared to affect the team badly.
Yesterday at home to Preston, Wednesday put in a fine first half performance with Esajas and Johnson causing plenty of problems from wide positions, Tudgay and Burton working well up-front and O'Connor and McAllister showing plenty of energy in the middle of the park.
Preston offered little in the first 45 and Wednesday were left to rue the fact that they had only managed to take in a goal advantage at the break.
The second half was not a complete reversal as the home side could have increased their lead with a couple of early chances but as the half went on the visitors came more and more into the game and when the equaliser did come, although it ultimately came from a defensive error it was seemingly almost inevitable.
It must be of some concern that while Wednesday have performed well in the first half of all three league games to date, the tempo and application have not been maintained in the second halves.
On another note the performance of on loan right-back Tony McMahon was worthy of praise. The young Middlesbrough defender only joined the Owls on Thursday and so will only have had a limited amount of time to familiarise himself with the club and train with his team-mates before making his debut against an in-form Preston outfit.
Despite this Tony seemed to slot into the back four as if he had been playing with the Owls for some time and produced an accomplished display. In truth he didn't have a great deal to do defensively, as the visitors appeared to concentrate many of their attacking moves down Wednesdays' left side, but what he did have to do he did with little fuss or trouble and was confident and competent with the ball. He made a fine covering interception in the first half when Beevers lost possession in a dangerous position and can be very pleased with his debut.