Neil Warnock returned to the steel City to meet a side who need the points as much as his but for very different reasons. Despite a three match unbeaten run Sheffield Wednesday sat in the bottom three going into this game.  Palace look to extend their own run at the other end of the table and went into this one with an unchanged side following the victory over Barnsley seven days ago.

The first action of the afternoon had nothing to do with the players but assistant David Webb who was knocked to the floor as a clearance by Clint Hill deflects off Ben Sahar to leave the official grounded but he did continue after some attention from the physios.

Palace had the pick of the chances in the opening exchanges as Clinton Morrison's effort hit the bar from the edge of the box after a clever leave by James Scowcroft and then Ben Watson puts his shot just over the bar after a good exchange between Morrison and Scowcroft let in the midfielder.

The home side had an appeal for a penalty on eleven minutes when they felt Graham Kavanagh had been fouled by Matt Lawrence but referee Russell Booth waved away the claims. This after a good start to an open game also saw Sean McAllister hit the bar from distance.

The Hillsborough following didn't have to wait too long before the breakthrough though as Ben Sahar met good ball through from Deon Burton and the loan signing went on and beat Julian Speroni to give his side the lead just past the quarter hour mark.

Just a couple of minutes later and Palace were denied an equaliser thanks to a one handed save by Lee Grant in the Wednesday goal. Clint Hill's close range header from a Watson corner was palmed away by the 'keeper to deny the left back.

Sean Scannell thought he had put the visitors level from a Watson free kick but the referee rules it out for a foul on Grant.

At the other end Burton had the chance to increase the lead but he missed with a  header as he tried to connect with Tommy Spurr's cross and then Speroni saved the follow up effort from Kavanagh.

A contender for goal of the season put Palace back on level terms. Five minutes before the break Watson was blocked by Wood which gave him a free kick from 25 yards out. He superbly curled it around the wall and past Grant for the equaliser.

The two sides went into the break with the score about right as both sides had played their part in an open game in freezing conditions in the Yorkshire.

The first chance of the half fell to Wednesday as, from 20 yards out, Wade Small's powerful shot was put over the bar by the 'keeper but Speroni didn't know too much about the powerful drive.

Palace's hero of the first half tried his luck from distance again just minutes in but this time Grant was able to get his hand to the shot and grabbed the ball at the second attempt.

On 52 minutes Small was causing the visitors defence problems again but he will have been disappointed after shooting wide following a good run which got him in behind the defence to collect the ball from Kavanagh who had been allowed space inside the Palace half.

Warnock made his first change of the afternoon from the bench as he was able to bring on Neil Danns, back after injury, for Tom Soares.

A free kick from a similar position from which Watson scored from gave Kavanagh a chance but Speroni tipped the effort round from a deflection off Morrison. Burton headed wide from the resulting corner and then just minutes later Speroni saves from another close range header, this time from Kavanagh.

The goal was coming and it did from Small. He got in behind the defence to get on the end of a pass from Burton and Speroni stood no chance as he saw the shot go across him into the far side of the goal to give the Owls the lead.

Wednesday could have increased the lead as Sohar fires over from inside the box as he gets the better of his man in a spell of the game which the home side are dominating.

Another change from the bench for Palace as Ashley Paul Robinson comes on for Shaun Derry as the visitors need to start creating more chances. The best of the half at this stage saw Scowcroft heading straight at Grant after getting on the end of a Morrison cross.

Warnock changes forrmation and goes 4-4-2 but its the home side who are having the chances and Sahar should have done better with a chance after Songo'o had played the ball into his path but shot wide when well placed.

Hughes is Palace's last change from the bench and had to late chances, the second being deflected for a corner. From that the clearance fell to Lawrence who shot at goal and it went into the roof of the net as the defence tried to scramble the shot clear but the last ditch effort gave Palace a share of the points.

It could be a valueable point come May and Palace will gladly take it as the game looked lost going into added time but the unbeaten run continues for Warnock's brave youngsters.

Teams:

Sheff Wed Grant, Hinds, Beevers, Wood, Spurr, Kavanagh,McAllister, Small (Showunmi 87), Songo'o, Sahar, Burton.

Subs Not Used: Burch, Watson, Bolder, O'Brien.

Booked: Small.

Crystal Palace Speroni, Lawrence, Hill, Hudson, Fonte,Derry (Robinson 77), Soares (Danns 59), Watson,Scannell (Hughes 85), Morrison, Scowcroft.

Subs Not Used: Fletcher, Kudjodji.

Booked: Hill.

Att: 19,875   Referee: Russell Booth (Nottinghamshire).