Frank Simek and Sheffield Wednesday continued their resurrection on Tuesday night with a 1-0 South Yorkshire derby squeaker over visiting Barnsley.

The American went the distance in central defense for the second straight game and came close to getting on the scoresheet near the end of the opening period.

On the quarter hour, Wednesday keeper Lee Grant had to be alert to tip Dennis Souza's firm corner kick header over.

The Owls assumed control of the half over the final 30 minutes, but would come no closer to scoring than Simek's drive towards the upper 90 on the stroke of intermission, which Barnsley keeper Heinz Müller pushed wide at full stretch.

Just out of the break, Tykes defender Dominic Werling inadvertently nudged a Burton O'Brien cross onto his own post and Muller quickly scrambled to smother Marcus Tudgay's rebound try.

The hosts found a breakthrough at the hour as Akpo Sodje rose high to nod home O'Brien's free kick.

Barnsley picked up the pressure, but near misses by István Ferenczi, Kayode Odejayi and Anderson Silva, as well as Grant's late save on Marin Devaney, allowed Wednesday to book the points.

The Owls, who are now unbeaten in six and have won five of eight, now turn around quickly to host Colchester on Saturday.

Scoring
WED - Akpo Sodje 4 60'

Line-ups
WED - Lee Grant; Richard Hinds, Frank Simek, Michael Johnson, Tommy Spurr, Burton O'Brien, Steve Watson, Jermaine Johnson (Wade Small 75'), Yoann Folly, Marcus Tudgay (Deon Burton 86), Akpo Sodje

BARN - Heinz Müller; Dennis Souza, Stephen Foster, Lewin Nyatanga, Dominic Werling (Kim Christensen 81'), Martin Devaney, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Anderson Silva, Brian Howard, István Ferenczi (Kayode Odejayi 67'), Jon Macken

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DEMERIT RETURNS IN DEFEAT
Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd was beside himself in anger after watching his side blunder their way to a 2-1 home defeat against Burnley.

US defender Jay DeMerit worked 90 minutes in returning from a calf strain, his first action since November 2nd.

Andy Gray gave the Clarets the lead with a 58th minute header and Joey Gudjonsson doubled their advantage in the 80th.

Danny Shittu claimed what proved to be a consolation for the Hornets with four minutes remaining. Watford laid siege to the Burnley goal thereafter, but failing to rescue a point.

Watford started brightly - Steve Kabba headed narrowly over after 13 minutes and Darius Henderson just barely failed to latch onto a Marlon King cross and notch his 10th of the season.

King himself almost scored on the quarter hour and 10 minutes before the break, but was denied twice by Burnley goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly.

Clarets midfielder Chris McCann hit the crossbar with a header in the 34th minute and his teammates were apoplectic when the referee failed to signal a penalty after Robbie Blake was brought down by a pursuing DeMerit with three minutes of the half remaining.

Jordan Stewart drew a fingertip save from Kiraly soon after the restart, but Burnley took a deserved lead just short of the hour mark when Gray met Wade Elliott's right-wing cross with a well-aimed header past Mart Poom into the corner of the net.

The Hornets switched to a three-man backline and pushed forward, allowing Gudjonsson to find the space on 80 minutes to latch onto a long punt by Gray and round Poom to score.

King knocked down for Shittu to pull one back with an 18-yard drive with four minutes remaining, but Burnley withstood the anticipated aerial barrage to go home with the three points.

The Hornets remain top of the Championship, five points clear of West Brom, who have a game in hand. Watford host fifth place Bristol City on Saturday.

Scoring
BUR - Andy Gray 9 (Wade Elliott) 58'
BUR - Joey Gudjonsson 1 (Andy Gray) 80'
WAT - Danny Shittu 4 (Marlon King) 86'

Line-ups
WAT - Mart Poom; Lloyd Doyley, Danny Shittu, Jay DeMerit, Jordan Stewart (Damien Francis 75'), Tommy Smith, Gavin Mahon (Nathan Ellington 80'), Lee Williamson, Steve Kabba, Marlon King, Darius Henderson (Tamás Priskin 74')

BUR - Gabor Kiraly; Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, David Unsworth, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, Chris McCann, Alan Mahon, Kyle Lafferty (Joey Gudjonsson 46'), Andy Gray (Adi Akinbiyi 87'), Robbie Blake (Steve Jones 83')

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ON THE SIDELINE
Charlton were stunned by a 3-0 home defeat to Sheffield United without the injured Cory Gibbs.