Sheffield Wednesday have opened up a 2-0 lead against Brighton & Hove Albion after the first leg of their Championship playoff semi-final.
Brighton, who only missed out on automatic promotion because of goal difference, finished the regular season 15 points better off than Wednesday, but rarely troubled the Owls as they suffered terrible injury luck on Friday the 13th at Hillsborough.
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In a first half that had everything, it was Wednesday who started the more confidently but Brighton twice went close to taking the lead against the run of play inside the first 10 minutes.
First, Sam Baldock's first-time shot from a Bruno cutback deflected just wide before, from the resulting corner, Tomer Hemed headed against the base of the post from close range.
Ross Wallace had Wednesday's first shot moments later with a fierce low drive from outside the box that David Stockdale tipped wide.
Hemed missed the target with another header before referee Andre Marriner and his assistant Darren Cann made a huge call.
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Fernando Forestieri ran clear and finished well into the near corner to send the home fans wild, and the goal appeared to have been given until Marriner consulted linesman Cann.
Replays showed that Forestieri was the first person to touch the ball from Keiren Westwood's clearance and that the Italian was comfortably offside when the goalkeeper's clearance was made.
The Wednesday supporters and coaches were furious with the decision after a lengthy delay in making the call, but the rub of the green was certainly with them throughout the rest of the match.
In the 39th minute Brighton, who already had key players Lewis Dunk and Dale Stephens suspended, lost centre-back Connor Goldson and top-scorer Tomer Hemed to injury at the same time and then fell behind on the stroke of half time.
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Wallace took aim from 25 yards and hit it hard and low towards the far corner. On first glance it looked like a superb finish, but replays showed that Stockdale got there in time and instead of pushing it away stretched his arm under the flight of the ball.
Less than five minutes into the second half Brighton were forced into their third and final change when Steve Sidwell got injured, and then it got even worse on the hour mark when star winger Anthony Knockaert twisted his ankle and had to leave the pitch on a stretcher.
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That left Brighton with 10 men for the final half-hour, and they conceded a second in the 73rd minute when Kieran Lee turned smartly on the edge of the box to go through on goal before finishing with aplomb into the far corner.
Jiri Skalak almost halved the deficit with a rasping volley, but that was as close as Brighton got in attack as they held firm at the back to keep the scoreline at just 2-0.
Chris Hughton's Brighton, who ended the regular season on a 14-match unbeaten streak, must now become the first side to overturn a two-goal deficit in the Championship playoff semi-finals if they are to reach the final against a Wednesday side that have now won all four of their matches in a playoff format.
Pascal Lemesre
