Owls fear fixture backlog could hit chances after late Cup penalty blow

The Owls were just moments away from securing a place in the fifth round when Kevin Phillips scored a stoppage-time penalty to force a replay.

It leaves the Owls – who are chasing automatic promotion from League One – having to play six games in the next 19 days.

Megson, who made seven changes ahead of tomorrow’s trip to fifth-placed Milton Keynes Dons, said: “We could have done without the replay but so too could Blackpool.

“Every time we play or get through a round in the FA Cup, we have to postpone a game.

“We are near enough playing Tuesday-Saturday now for the next few weeks.

“We both wanted to go through but obviously there is an importance attached to our league fixtures.”

A goal from striker Clinton Morrison had put the Owls on the brink of victory until Chris Sedgwick’s foul on Gary Taylor-Fletcher resulted in the penalty.

Megson was angry with referee Darren Deadman who, just a week before, had been at the centre of controversy in Sheffield United’s defeat at Charlton Athletic.

“He had a choice and he chose to give it,” said Megson. “It was a poor decision. We are bitterly disappointed.

“From where I was stood, I don’t think it was a penalty. Talking to the players, they are on about pulling shirts. If it was a penalty, it looked really, really soft.”

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway insisted the penalty was only fair after the Owls took advantage of an injury to score their goal.

Holloway felt play should have been stopped to allow Blackpool to make a substitution when captain Keith Southern was hurt by a challenge from David Prutton.

Southern had limped off shortly before the Owls equalised and needed eight stitches in a gash above an ankle.

“Justice was done,” said Holloway. “If we had lost that game, I would have been bemoaning what I felt was a torrid situation.

“Keith got topped by a bad tackle. He didn’t realise how bad it was until he got off.

“We were saying ‘We have got to make a substitution’ and the game is playing on when the fourth official can see it is a horrible gash – almost big enough to put his pyjamas in before we sew it up.

“How can we be punished when their bloke has made a nasty tackle? It could have been stopped. It just don’t make sense.

“They are moaning about a penalty – but they have taken advantage of a thing they gained unfairly in my opinion.”

Southern was making his first appearance for Blackpool in two months since a lay-off for testicular cancer.

On Prutton’s tackle, Southern said: “After what I have been through, it’s a minor hiccup. I have got eight stitches. I am going to say no, there was no malice. At the time, I thought there was.

“It was unfortunate that he caught me under the shinpad and it has ripped my skin. I’ll err on the side of caution and say he has not ‘done’ us. I’d like to think he hasn’t but it wasn’t nice. Hopefully, I am fit for the return, that’s all I’m going to say.”

The replay will be held a week tomorrow at Hillsborough but the priority for the Owls is tomorrow’s away game at Milton Keynes.

Megson rested Jose Semedo, Chris O’Grady, Jermaine Johnson, Gary Madine and Jon Otsemobor to the bench at Blackpool but all are expected to start tomorrow. Defender Miguel Llera, meanwhile, was cup-tied.

“The team will change again on Tuesday,” said Megson, whose side will face Premier League Everton away should they win the replay. “We have 20 outfield players and four goalkeepers but we don’t have ‘reserve’ players.

“All our players are considered, by myself, anyway, to be first-team players. They all train together, do everything together, and it was no great surprise to see people come in and do well. They are all well versed in what we are trying to do.”

The Owls’ neighbours, Sheffield United, who have been linked with a move for Blackpool striker Billy Clarke, lost 4-0 at home to Championship club Birmingham, leaving the Blades to concentrate on their promotion campaign.

The same applies to Hull City, whose manager Nick Barmby denied he took League Two Crawley Town too lightly after his team were dumped out of the FA Cup in embarrassing fashion.

Barmby made seven changes from the side that had won 1-0 at Reading in Hull’s previous match in the Championship.

Barmby’s gamble backfired as a 57th-minute goal from striker Matt Tubbs gave Crawley a deserved 1-0 win.

“We didn’t take them lightly,” insisted Barmby. “We had them watched a couple of times and saw videos of them. They’re a good side. They’re doing well in the League and I’m sure they’ll come up.”

Barmby’s team lie sixth in the Championship and he added: “We’re out of all the cup competitions so there’s no distraction now for us.

“There’s no excuse for us now. Between now and the end of the season we’ll be giving it our best shot in the Championship. We’ll go again on Tuesday night (at home to Doncaster).”