Wednesday weaken again

Round-up

FOR the second time in the week Sheffield Wednesday were unable to defend a lead away from Hillsborough as Everton fought back at Goodison Park to share the honours 2-2.

Mark Bright got the visitors' day off to a flying start when he headed in from Lee Briscoe's cross after two minutes. Everton, who had won their three previous matches, went further behind 34 minutes later when the unmarked Bright headed a second from Chris Waddle's right-wing cross.

Three minutes into first-half injury time, Andrei Kanchelskis pulled one back, his first goal for Everton at Goodison, when Anders Limpar and Graham Stuart set him up to beat Briscoe and score at the near post. Nine minutes into the second half, Daniel Amokachi got the equaliser.

The bottom-of-the-table tussle between Wimbledon and Coventry City at Highfield Road lived down to its reputation despite the sides sharing six goals and the Sky Blues finishing with nine men. The Dons' reputation as a solid citadel has been somewhat eroded this season, yet they could afford to give Coventry a goal start - goalkeeper Paul Heald punched Kevin Richardson's corner into his own net after 14 minutes - and still enjoy their half-time refreshment a goal in front.

Another 14 minutes had passed scrappily enough when the Coventry goalkeeper, Steve Ogrizovic, saved smartly from Efan Ekoku. The ball spun to Jon Goodman, whose goalbound header was flicked over the bar by Paul Williams. With his hand. Off he went, leaving Vinny Jones, back in the side after serving a one-match suspension, to convert the penalty.

Goodman gave Wimbledon the lead, and Oyvind Leonhardsen stretched it, but their defence was always uncomfortable against Coventry's taller players. One of them, Dion Dublin, pulled a goal back, and the Sky Blues were down to nine men - Richard Shaw was sent off after a second booking - when David Rennie equalised.

West Ham had lost only once in the previous seven games before the match against Queen's Park Rangers at Upton Park but had won only once at home all season. They got their second home win courtesy of a late Tony Cottee goal after QPR's Karl Ready had seen red.

Barry Venison has become something of a talisman for Southampton since signing from Newcastle five matches ago. The Saints won the first three in which he played and then lost the next two, when he was injured. He returned to the side for the visit of Bolton and the spell is still working.

Although it was by no means a smooth performance by the Saints, they got the goal that mattered when David Hughes scored. The point Coventry eked out a Highfield Road was enough to lift them above Bolton, who are now bottom of the Premiership for the first time.