Powell rues Stephens' miss

Chris Powell says Dale Stephens' crucial miss proved costly after Charlton drew 1-1 with Sheffield Wednesday at The Valley.

Bradley Wright-Phillips gave the high-flying Addicks the perfect start by firing Powell's side in front after only three minutes. Charlton bossed the first half but the closest they came to turning that dominance into a second goal came in the 17th minute when an unmarked Stephens fired wildly over from eight yards when he looked certain to score. The hosts paid the price 11 minutes into the second half as veteran striker Clinton Morrison drew Sheffield Wednesday level three minutes after coming on as a substitute. Powell said: "I think you always want a good start and we got it. We needed to build on it, we needed to carry on that impetus we had and put them on the back foot. Really the pivotal moment was Dale Stephens' chance. I think that really would have put us in the driving seat. "Any scoreline, especially 1-0, you are always thinking you don't want to let them in. They made it tough for us in respect of the way they played and they are quite a physical side. But they tried to play as well, although really the better chances fell to us and really you need to take them. In the end they scored from a set piece. "We defended them well throughout the course of the game but it wasn't to be." Sheffield Wednesday manager Gary Megson blasted his side for their poor defending at the start of the game, but did have some praise for Clinton Morrison. Megson said: "We make a big fuss out of scoring the first goal, which we didn't. But in the second half, without ever really playing any champagne football, we were much better. Believe it or not but we wanted to be more solid, hence the shape of the team with three midfield players instead of two. "That went out of the window after three or four minutes. The defending was pathetic and it was a really poor goal for us to give away, which completely threw everything out of the window that we wanted to do. "So we changed it too quickly from what we wanted to do, but I couldn't see a way back if we didn't do that. Clinton when he got the opportunity has come on and that is what he does. "That was the corner we were looking for with the flick on and then somebody to get on it. Clinton has made a career of doing that and won't score too many goals from outside the box, although he has certainly got a few inside the box."