Franck Songo'o bagged a priceless late equaliser as Wednesday posted a deserved point against league leaders Stoke on Saturday.

Ex-Owl Richard Cresswell had earlier sent the visitors into a first half lead but SWFC hit back to restore parity and aid their battle against relegation.

New loan signing Bartosz Slusarski started on the bench for the Owls following his temporary move from West Brom as Brian Laws stayed with the same eleven that kicked off against Palace seven days ago. Former Wednesday midfielder Glenn Whelan made his maiden return to Hillsborough since signing for Stoke in the January transfer window.

The first action of note unfolded six minutes in when Potters deadline day loan capture Shola Ameobi went in late on Richard Hinds deep in the Owls half and picked up a yellow card from referee Paul Taylor. Deon Burton - fresh from storing his 50th international cap for Jamaica in midweek - spooned a snapshot over the bar a minute later as Wednesday asked the early questions.

Cresswell hit Stoke's first effort from a Whelan feed but the striker's shot was comfortably saved by Lee Grant. The same player then went closer still eight yards out but Grant quickly smothered the danger.

Wednesday headed straight up the other end and were denied a decent shout for a penalty. Songo'o drilled in a low cross from which Sean McAllister got good purchase and the ball seemed to deflect for a corner via Chris Riggot's arm but the referee waved play on.

The Owls came within a whisker of taking the lead from their next attack. Songo'o tried a snapshot from distance that Richard Wood seized upon six yards out but his looped effort came back off the crossbar.

SWFC were dealt a blow just after the quarter of an hour mark when Hinds was forced off following Ameobi's earlier tackle. Steve Watson slotted into the right back berth for his first taste of senior action since the S6 FA Cup clash with Derby in January.

Ameobi was proving a real handful for the Wednesday defence and only a trademark last-ditch tackle by Mark Beevers prevented the Premiership hitman opening his account for the Potters.

But Stoke stole into the lead on 21 minutes. Referee Taylor awarded a contentious free kick to the visitors which was taken quickly before the ball found its way to Stephen Pearson down the left channel. The Stoke new boy - also signed by Tony Pulis on loan on Thursday - struck a half-hit shot that Cresswell diverted past Grant and into the net with the merest of touches in front of the Kop.

Ameobi continued to be a central figure to the action and was fortunate to escape an early bath after felling Graham Kavanagh with another late tackle but the referee deemed only a quiet word necessary.

Beevers and Tommy Spurr both put in last-gasp tackles to deny Cresswell and Ameobi before the game took another nasty turn when Carl Dickinson went through McAllister 30 yards out. The Stoke man - and the referee - was surrounded by furious Owls players but again the outcome was just a caution.

Both sets of fans welcomed the half time breather as well as the players given the frantic nature of the first period.

Moments after the restart Owls fans had a scare when Rory Delap's long throw found Cresswell unmarked six yards from goal but the Stoke dangerman completely mistimed his header and the ball scooped up into the grateful arms of Grant.

The second half was always likely to struggle to match the non-stop action of the first and so it proved. Wednesday had to wait until the hour mark to muster another shot when Kavanagh sent a daisycutter the wrong side of Carlo Nash's right-hand post.

Sahar went close, though, on 62 minutes, firing in a long-range effort that beat Nash all ends up but again the ball fell the wrong side of the upright.

Brian Laws introduced returning winger Jermaine Johnson following his four-match ban in a bid to up the ante in the final third; Wade Small gave way.

But it was Songo'o that provided the next threat and the winger almost hauled the hosts level on 73 minutes. The loanee from Portsmouth chanced his arm from distance and Nash spilled the ball as it bounced from the skiddy surface. McAllister got a foot to the rebound but Nash was down fast to deny the on-rushing midfielder.

Beevers' perfectly timed challenge thwarted Ameobi as the latter was preparing to pull the trigger then just as the clock was ticking down on a Stoke success, Wednesday drew level with eight minutes to go. Songo'o picked up Johnson's pass and advanced to lash a blistering drive past Nash to claim his first goal for the club.

The Frenchman's strike sparked a late rally from Wednesday but the Potters' defence held firm and both sides emerged with a fully merited share of the spoils.

SWFC: Grant, Hinds (Watson 18), Beevers, Wood, Spurr, Songo'o, Kavanagh, McAllister, Small (Johnson 65), Burton, Sahar (Showunmi 79)

Unused substitutes: Bolder, Slusarski

Stoke: Nash, Griffin, Cort, Riggott, Dickinson, Lawrence, Pearson (Bothroyd 72), Whelan, Delap, Cresswell, Ameobi (Pugh 78)

Unused substitutes: Simonsen, Buxton, Wilkinson

Attendance: 21,857

Referee: Paul Taylor