Crystal Palace nicked a stoppage time leveller to deny the Owls three priceless points at Hillsborough on Saturday. Matt Lawrence did the damage right on the final whistle, cancelling out Wade Small's second half goal for Wednesday that followed first half strikes from SWFC loanee Ben Sahar and Palace midfielder Ben Watson.

Wednesday made one change from the side that collected a point from Coventry last weekend. Marcus Tudgay missed out with a knee injury, so loanee Sahar stepped into the breach to partner Deon Burton up front. Steve Watson, having recovered from a hamstring stain, returned to the squad for the first time since the FA Cup clash with Derby in January.

The game got off to an unusual start as Sahar's tackle on Clint Hill knocked linesman David Webb clean off his feet but the official was cleared to continue after treatment from the Palace physio.

The visitors sparked the first attack of the game and came within a lick of paint of taking the lead. Matt Lawrence found space down the right flank to feed dangerman Clinton Morrison, whose rasping shot from 12 yards crashed down to safety from the underside of the crossbar.

Wednesday responded in kind as Sean McAllister collected a loose ball and thumped a long-range piledriver that struck the top of the Palace bar and sailed into the Kop.

The Owls were denied what looked a decent shout for a penalty moments later when Graham Kavanagh escaped the attention of Tom Soares in the box. Soares appeared to tug at the Irishman's shirt as the latter advanced on goal but referee Russell Booth waved away the hosts' appeals.

With the game developing into an open affair, the Eagles went straight on the counter and Watson fired narrowly wide from 20 yards.

But Wednesday went into the lead on 18 minutes with Sahar bagging his first goal for the club after a sweeping move that spanned one end of the pitch to the other. Franck Songo'o broke down a Palace attack on the edge of his own area and fed Sahar, who in turn found Burton down the right. The Israeli international continued his run upfield and took Burton's pass calmly into his stride to slide past Julian Speroni and put the Owls into the ascendancy.

Undaunted, the visitors almost equalised less than two minutes later. Watson sent over an accurate corner that landed right on the head of the on-rushing Hill but Lee Grant dived spectacularly to parry wide for a corner.

Grant, though, could do nothing to prevent a Palace equaliser five minutes before half time. Richard Wood conceded a free kick 25 yards out and Watson stepped up to blast a curling drive over the wall and into the keeper's top left-hand corner.

The Owls came out flying after the break and Songo'o unleashed a fierce drive from distance that almost caught Speroni napping but the South American custodian stuck out an arm at the last to tip over the crossbar.

Wade Small had the next chance seven minutes into the second period following good work by Kavanagh but the winger could only skew a mishit shot across goal.

SWFC continued to ask more questions as Palace struggled to move out of their own half. Kavanagh went close with a deflected free kick that Speroni spooned over and Burton headed just wide from the resulting corner.

Kavanagh then found space in the danger zone as Songo'o sent over a teasing cross but the midfielder's header landed safely in the midriff of Speroni.

The Owls further turned the screw and took a deserved lead on 68 minutes. Burton fed Small down the left channel and the in-form wideman advanced into the box to slot an angled shot past Speroni and into the Leppings Lane net.

Sahar burst forward four minutes later but blasted over the bar and then sidefooted wide after Hinds broke free down the right and squared to the young striker.

But just as Owls fans were contemplating three crucial points, SWFC hearts were broken two minutes into injury time. Palace finished the contest with a late burst and forced three quickfire corners, the last of which saw Lawrence sweep past Grant to dramatically salvage the Londoners a point.

Wednesday: Grant, Hinds, Wood, Beevers, Spurr, Songo'o, Kavanagh, McAllister, Small (Showunmi 87), Sahar, Burton

Unused substitutes: Burch, O'Brien, Watson, Bolder

Palace: Speroni, Lawrence, Hill, Hudson, Fonte, Derry (Robinson 77), Soares (Danns 59), Watson, Scannell (Hughes 86), Scowcroft, Morrison

Unused substitutes: Fletcher, Hughes, Kudjodji

Referee: Russell Booth

Attendance: 19,875