Yorath soars to Owls challenge

Sheffield Wednesday recovered from the shock of Peter Shreeves' resignation as manager of the Nationwide First Division club last week to present their caretaker manager, Terry Yorath, with a win in his first game in charge. Second-half goals from Gerald Sibon and half-time substitute Pablo Bonvin gave The Owls a 2-1 victory over fellow strugglers Walsall at Hillsborough. It was their first home win of the season.

Does Yorath want the job permanently? "Yes I want it, why not? I've got another year left on my contract so we will have to see what happens. I enjoy being here, this is a big football club which deserves to be in a better position."

And the match? "In the first half we were dreadful." So he brought on Bonvin and Owen Morrison. "In the second half we took the game to them and snatched the points. Carlton Palmer was excellent in the second half. He dug in when we needed leaders on the pitch."

Burnley's run of games without a win was stretched to six when Barnsley recovered from 2-0 and 3-2 down to draw 3-3 at Turf Moor. The Tykes' Chris Morgan started the scoring when he steered Paul Weller's cross into his own net. His second goal – for his own team this time – made it 2-2. An Andy Payton penalty in the 86th minute seemed to have won the match for the Clarets, but two minutes later Darren Barnard earned Barnsley's first away point of the season. Burnley's keeps them fourth.

"We are having a sticky time at the moment," the Burnley manager, Stan Ternent, admitted. The Tykes' Nigel Spackman was equally honest. "We are still in a mess, but this is a start."

How galling is this: Stern John scored a second-half hat-trick for Nottingham Forest at Millwall but there was no win bonus. Richard Sadlier's injury-time equaliser made it 3-3. "Forest were the best I have seen this season," Mark McGhee, the Lions manager, granted.

How galling is this part two. Sheffield United won 18 corners at Portsmouth but Justin Edinburgh scored his first league goal for 10 years to give Pompey a scarcely deserved 1-0 win. His previous league strike? In 1991 for Spurs against – who else? – Sheffield United. "We played all the good football and dominated the game. To come away from such a long trip south with nothing is very disappointing," Neil Warnock, the Blades manager, lamented.

Even at this early stage of the season, relegation was on the minds at Edgeley Park where the bottom club, Stockport County, lost again, this time to Rotherham. United. Stuart Talbot's header two minutes before half-time gave The Millers victory over a spiritless County side. Is Lennie Lawrence rueing Grimsby Town's Worthington Cup win over Liverpool? "We have not kicked a ball since that game," he complained after Micah Hyde scored twice in Watford's 3-0 win at Blundell Park. It gave Gianluca Vialli's side their first away points of the season.

Gillingham are also slipping fast and a 3-1 defeat by Wimbledon at Selhurst Park did little to put the brakes on.

In the Second Division, Brentford's Stephen Hunt scored twice and was then sent off as the leaders won 2-0 at Bournemouth. Bristol City were beaten 1-0 at home by Wycombe Wanderers.

Rochdale reclaimed pole position in the Third Division when Paul Wheatcroft's goal was enough to beat Luton Town at Kenilworth Road. Plymouth Argyle scored twice in injury time at Mansfield Town in a 3-0 win that lifted them above The Hatters to second.