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Watford logo
Championship | Gameweek 39
Apr 2, 2021 at 3pm UK
Vicarage Road
Sheffield Wednesday logo

Watford
1 - 0
Sheff Weds

Lees (7' og.)
Sierralta (30'), Hughes (64')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Borner (3'), Urhoghide (38'), Reach (41'), Wildsmith (78')

Watford 1-0 Sheff Weds: Tom Lees scores controversial own goal

Watford 1-0 Sheff Weds: Tom Lees scores controversial own goal
© Reuters
Time is running out for second-bottom Sheffield Wednesday.

An controversial early own goal from Tom Lees gave second-placed Watford a 1-0 win at home to struggling Sheffield Wednesday.

The three points extended the Hornets' winning run to six in a row and 10 from their last 11 matches as Xisco Munoz's side boosted their automatic promotion chances.

Time is running out for Wednesday at the other end of the table, however, with the Owls having to battle on in Hertfordshire without manager Darren Moore after he tested positive for Covid-19.

The game ended up being decided in the seventh minute through an own goal that was hotly disputed.

Ismaila Sarr crossed from the right hoping to find Isaac Success but instead saw the ball turned into the Wednesday net by Owls centre-back Lees.

A raised flag indicating that Success had been offside saw the goal initially disallowed but referee Chris Kavanagh consulted with assistant Dan Cook and ruled that the Watford man had not been interfering with play.

Lees, who had forced his own goalkeeper, Joe Wildsmith, into a save in a similar situation three minutes earlier, argued that he would not have played the ball had Success not been hovering but his protests were ignored.

Osaze Urhoghide headed over from a corner that reached the near post as Wednesday sought a way back into the game.

Josh Windass, played in on the left of the Watford box by Barry Bannan, was foiled by Hornets keeper Daniel Bachmann's brave dive at his feet in the 25th minute.

Wednesday continued to create chances with Julian Borner firing wide after Watford failed to clear the free-kick that resulted from Francisco Sierralta's yellow card challenge on Jordan Rhodes.

Success should have doubled Watford's lead on the half-hour mark but scuffed wide from yet another Sarr delivery.

Urhoghide was booked for barging Philip Zinckernagel over just before the Dane reached the box. Zinckernagel took the free-kick himself but could not beat Wildsmith.

Adam Reach was booked in the 42nd minute for impeding Sarr, with Watford again going close through Joao Pedro's low shot across goal after Success' header had given him a sight of goal.

Callum Paterson fired over for the Owls early in the second half but it wasn't long before Pedro blasted a shot that bounced off Wildsmith and Sarr curled narrowly over.

Rhodes had been waiting for a chance but could not hit the target in the 65th minute when a mis-placed header from a defender landed at his feet on the edge of the six-yard box.

There was one further misfortune for Lees to endure when he limped off injured in the 85th minute.

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sunderland139222391429
2Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd149321871128
3Leeds UnitedLeeds137512281426
4Burnley136521761123
5Watford147162222022
6West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom13562148621
7Middlesbrough146351816221
8Millwall135441612419
9Blackburn RoversBlackburn135441614219
10Swansea CitySwansea14545119219
11Bristol City144731819-119
12Norwich CityNorwich144642320318
13Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds145361724-718
14Oxford UnitedOxford Utd144551717017
15Coventry CityCoventry134361717015
16Derby CountyDerby134361617-115
17Stoke CityStoke134361518-315
18Hull City143651518-315
19Cardiff CityCardiff134361319-615
20Plymouth ArgylePlymouth144371425-1115
21Preston North EndPreston133551420-614
22Luton TownLuton133371521-612
23Queens Park RangersQPR141761223-1110
24Portsmouth141671327-149


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