Swift delivery from Dichio

Sheffield Wednesday 1 West Bromwich Albion 1

Danny Dichio, in his first game on loan from Sunderland, scored the goal that brought West Bromwich, the over achievers of the First Division last season, their first point of this campaign.

The physically imposing but often cumbersome Dichio managed just one goal in the Premiership last term but matched that in the 24th minute yesterday when Neil Clement's corner from the right was nodded back into the middle by Larus Sigurdsson.

Dichio, virtually under the crossbar, beat Kevin Pressman to head home, and, although some defenders looked as though they expected a free-kick for a foul on the goalkeeper, Wednesday's manager, Peter Shreeves, had no complaints.

With the prolific Lee Hughes sold to Coventry and his old partner in crime Jason Roberts injured, the Baggies were always going to rely heavily on Dichio's presence and he also headed against the bar before half-time.

Wednesday will feel, howeve, that they had the opportunities to win the match and should have capitalised on the good start given to them by their own big striker Gerald Sibon.

The game was only four minutes old when Albion's Des Lyttle was booked for charging out of the wall too early to block Sibon's first attempt at a free-kick from just outside the penalty area.

With the referee warning sternly about any similar encroachments from the retake, Sibon fired his shot past a static wall into the top, right-hand corner of Russell Hoult's net.

"The first quarter of an hour was a torrid time for us'' Albion's manager, Gary Megson, admitted. "After that, in the main, we were on top.''

West Bromwich certainly looked more like last season's side, although the loss of Hughes ­ the best striker outside the Premiership according to Megson ­ is obviously going to take some time to get over. But if their build-up was often smoother, particularly when yielding a chance hammered high by Michael Appleton, Wednesday's aerial route also threatened to produce a winner. Inviting headed opportunities for Leigh Bromby, Trond Egil Soltvedt and Efan Ekoku failed to find the target, while the promising left-sided midfielder Alan Quinn got away just before half-time to force a fine low save from Hoult.

"We had the chances to win the match," Shreeves said. "But we're a little bit fragile in our confidence in home matches.''

Shreeves fears that scoring enough goals to maintain a challenge will be Wednesday's main problem this year and Sibon played despite being 60 per cent fit.

Megson needs Dichio as badly and is hoping that he can reach agreement with Peter Reid on a permanent deal.