Sheffield Wednesday 2 Watford 1: Varney returns to bring relief to Wednesday

Tom Cleverley's free-kick had cancelled out Eddie Nolan's opener for the Owls and it looked like a fourth consecutive draw for Wednesday until up popped Varney – who missed the game with Derby under the terms of his loan deal from the Rams – to blast home the 88th-minute winner in front of the Kop.

It means Wednesday move four points clear of third-from-bottom Crystal Palace with seven games of the season remaining.

The Owls host fellow-strugglers Palace on the final day of the season on Sunday, May 2 and many at Hillsborough fear it could go down to the wire.

Two seasons ago Wednesday faced a similar showdown on the final Sunday of the season, needing to beat Norwich City to avoid relegation.

Owls goalkeeper Lee Grant, for one, is hoping there is no repeat of that Hillsborough scenario.

"Everybody is picking up points and I can see it going down to the wire, but hopefully we'll be clear of it by then," said Grant.

"We don't want a repeat of the game against Norwich a couple of seasons ago as that wasn't nice for anybody involved."

Varney's return saw Leon Clarke dropped to the bench in the only change made by Owls manager Alan Irvine.

Both sides contributed to a terrible opening to the game; possession was constantly surrendered and each team lacked cohesion. Maybe it was the pressure of what was riding on the game, both teetering on the edge of the relegation drop zone.

When Wednesday did get a throw-in after 20 minutes, it offered a rare chance to attack the visitors' goal. Centre-back Mark Beevers cantered forward, but the long throw missed him out and Marcus Tudgay was crowded out. The fact a throw-in was the most noteworthy point after 20 minutes illustrated the lack of quality on show.

So when James O'Connor tried an audacious lob from 30 yards out it woke the crowd up as well as Hornets goalkeeper Scott Loach, who backpedalled but saw the ball drift beyond his right-hand post.

Loach then came to the visitors' rescue when he touched Darren Potter's 25-yard free kick onto a post, and Heidar Helguson's shot was charged down by Darren Purse at the opposite end as the game slowly started to gain momentum.

The Owls were forced to make an early substitution after 30 minutes, Clarke coming on for the injured Tommy Miller.

It felt like a game which could be settled by an individual error rather than a piece of skill and that almost came to fruition before half-time.

Watford's Will Hoskins pounced on a terrible crossfield pass from left-back Tommy Spurr. The former Rotherham striker charged towards Grant's penalty area, but Spurr atoned for his error by diving in with a last-ditch tackle.

Wednesday went off to a chorus of boos at half-time, but Tudgay had an early chance after the restart to settle the nerves. Jay Demerit slipped while trying to clear but as the ball ballooned upwards, Tudgay was unable to get the required direction on his header and it sailed harmlessly wide of the post. At least it perked up the crowd and Clarke was unlucky when a swift turn inside the area resulted in a charged down effort.

The hosts had started the second period in a much more positive fashion and the first goal finally came albeit from the most unlikely source.

Wednesday kept possession, probed away, and when Potter spread the ball wide it found Nolan. The on-loan left-back cut inside from the touchline and weaved between two defenders before striking the ball low inside Loach's near post.

It was all Wednesday now and Potter had a shot saved by Loach before the Hornets stung the hosts with an equaliser.

Cleverley, on loan from Premier League champions Manchester United, fired home with a 25-yard free kick on 66 minutes. Clarke should have done better when he snatched at Tudgay's flick-on, Loach clawed away Varney's long-range effort, while at the other end Helguson could not convert a free header at the far post.

With time ticking away, Irvine threw on Francis Jeffers as his fourth striker and from the restart it was Varney who netted the crucial goal.

He raced in at the far post and chested the ball down before volleying an unstoppable shot past Loach.

Sheffield Wednesday: Grant, Nolan, Beevers, Purse, Spurr, Soares (Jeffers 87), Potter, O'Connor, Miller (Clarke 31), Tudgay, Varney (Gray 90). Unused substitutes: O'Donnell, Simek, Hinds, Esajas.

Watford: Loach, Mariappa, DeMerit, Cowie (Buckley 90), Helguson, Doyley, Jenkins (Harley 72), Hoskins (Graham 59), Cleverley, Taylor, Eustace. Unused substitutes: Lee, McGinn, Bryan, Hodson.

Referee: D Deadman.