Darlington produced another solid performance against League One visitors Sheffield Wednesday, earning a draw with the Yorkshiremen.

Right-back Paul Arnison had put the Quakers into a 49th-minute lead, drilling past Aaron Jameson from the penalty spot after Mark Beevers was adjudged to have fouled Liam Hatch inside the area.

But Wednesday equalised shortly after the hour-mark when substitute Paul Heffernan scrambled home a scrappy goal.

Mark Cooper made one change from the side which started against Sunderland on Saturday, with Curtis Main coming in for the injured Chris Senior.

Main started on the right side of midfield, with Hatch and Tommy Wright partnered up front again.

Sam Russell started in goal, with the same back four of Arnison, Dominik Werling, Ian Miller and Danny Hone.

Jamie Chandler and Michael Brough were paired in the centre of midfield while Josh Gray started on the left again.

Alan Irvine named a strong Wednesday side looking to bounce back from their defeat at Grimsby on Saturday.

Darren Purse, Marcus Tudgay, Gary Teele and Neil Mellor all started at the Arena, with former Hartlepool midfielder Tommy Miller on the bench along with Paul Heffernan, James O'Connor and Jermaine Johnson.

The visitors created the first chance of the game after five minutes when the ball fell to Potter on the edge of the penalty area but his tame shot was easily gathered by Russell on his goal-line.

Wednesday were enjoying most of the ball in the opening stages of the game without piercing Darlo's back line.

The home side finally forced Owls goalkeeper Jameson into action after 18 minutes when Arnison whipped in a decent looking right-wing cross, but Jameson gathered, and Hatch attempted a wild, 30-yard shot a minute later which was sliced well wide.

Hatch created a chance for himself out of nothing on the half-hour mark, wriggling away from two defenders on the far left side before hitting a low shot from the edge of the box which had Jameson scrambling to his near post to gather.

Wednesday raced up the other end to threaten but Neil Mellor's header was comfortably gathered by Russell.

The Owls then created their best chance of the game so far after 32 minutes when Mellor burst into the penalty area but his sliding shot was well saved by Russell.

Russell was called into action again in the 40th minute when Sedgewick curled a right-footed cross in from the left wing, but the Quakers 'keeper showed good hands again.

Owls threatened again in the 44th minute when right-back Buxton crossed to the far post but the stretching Sedgewick could only head well over.

Chris Moore replaced Tommy Wright at the break and the former Whitley Bay winger swapped places with Main, who went up front with Hatch.

Darlington took the lead in the 49th minute from the penalty spot. Beevers dragged Hatch down in the penalty area and Arnison despatched the spot-kick with a quality right-footed drill.

Sedgewick might have done better when he had a chance to draw Wednesday level after a smart throughball in the 57th-minute, but his snatched shot sailed over Russell's left-hand corner.

But Wednesday were on level terms after 63 minutes, and it was a poor goal to concede by Darlo.

Miller gave the ball away to Sedgewick and the right-winger played the ball to substitute Jermaine Johnson who played inside to fellow sub striker Heffernan, and his scuffed shot trickled past a scrambling Russell.

Darlo produced a good flowing move after 87 minutes with second-half substitute Michael Smith feeding John McReady through the middle. McReady played Moore in the right channel but the winger flashed a right-footed effort well wide.

Wednesday threatened at the other end a minute later when substitute Adriano Moke, a trialist for the visitors, shot from just inside the area which Russell saved.

Matchfacts
Goals: Arnison, 49 mins; Heffernan, 63 mins
Darlington: Russell, Arnison, Werling, Chandler, Brough (McReady, 72), Miller, Hatch, Hone, Wright (Moore, 46), Main (Smith 68), J Gray (Cornforth, 74).
Unused: Thompson, Hopson, P Gray, Hutchinson, Burn, Baxter.
Wednesday: Jameson, Buxton, Purse, Tudgay (Heffernan, 60), Jones (Otsemobor, 46), Potter (T.Miller, 66), Beevers (Boden, 78), Teele (Hinds, 78), Sedgewick (Moke, 66), Palmer (O'Connor, 66), Mellor (Johnson, 60).
Unused: O'Donnell.
Referee: Steve Smith
Attendance: 1,261
Man-of-the-match: Paul Arnison - a superbly-taken penalty but a quality overall performance by the right-back