Wise old Owls hit by flat-out Morris

Of all the giants of football snoozing peacefully in the Nationwide First Division, none are as large nor seem as profoundly dormant just now as Sheffield Wednesday, who last week parted company with manager Terry Yorath.

The team for yesterday's match against Derby County at Hillsborough was picked by three players – Trond Soltvedt, Kevin Pressman and David Burrows – and the chief scout, Bill Green, but selection by committee proved no more satisfactory than managerial dictat and they lost 3-1.

To add insult, the Owls' chief tormentor was the former Sheffield United striker, Lee Morris, who scored twice in the first half-hour. Sadly, in finishing off the second from a tight angle his momentum sent him crashing into the hoardings behind the goal. He was stretchered off, couldn't remember the goal, but was a happy chap: "As a Sheffield United fan I am always happy to see Wednesday get beat."

Acting manager Green was not too downbeat about the Owls' predicament. "If we had won it might have bought the board a bit more time to make sure they get the right man, but in losing it has probably made up their minds to get somebody in quickly. A club second from bottom and with only two League wins all season tells you what a job the new manager faces. But I believe the squad are good enough to move up that table. I think there's every reason to be optimistic."

Tony Pulis, the new Stoke City manager, got some idea of his task when the Potters lost 4-2 at Walsall, Jorge Leitao scoring two and making a third. Substitute Andy Cooke offered Pulis some encouragement by scoring twice. "When everything is in place and we get the team going on the pitch we could get over 20,000 watching week in, week out," Pulis said. "It is a challenge a couple of people have shied away from, but I am looking forward to it."

Steve Coppell's poor start as the manager of bottom-of-the-table Brighton is over. Two Bobby Zamora penalties earned a 3-2 win over Bradford City to end a run of 12 consecutive defeats. "It's still going to be a long haul, but in this game we were good value for the three points," he said.

Reading ensured a grim return to Berks for former manager Mark McGhee, who quit them to go to Leicester in 1994. He was frequently barracked as his Millwall side lost 2-0. Reading are eighth.

Grimsby followed Tuesday night's hectic 6-5 win over Burnley with a calmer 1-1 draw with Gillingham. John Oster, back with the Mariners on loan from Sunderland, got their goal. But Burnley must have though another onslaught was imminent when Ricardo Fuller put Preston 1-0 up in the third minute at Deepdale. Gareth Taylor equalised before half time, but two goals in five minutes, including Fuller's second condemned the Clarets to a third defeat in eight days.

Elsewhere, two goals by player-manager Gary McAllister earned Coventry City three points from the 2-1 win over Rotherham United.

In the Second Division, Peterborough, 22nd in the table, had a difficult task at leaders Cardiff made that much harder when defender Simon Rea was sent off after 15 seconds for hauling down Robert Earnshaw, who was through on goal. They lost 3-0.