Sheffield Wednesday manager Brian Laws has called on his players to cut out the defensive mistakes which are costing his side soft goals.

The Owls were unfortunate to go down 2-1 to Preston on Tuesday night but, yet again, were ultimately undone by strikes that maybe could and should have been prevented.

Preparing for Friday night's trip to Watford, Laws said: "While we are doing well going forward, it seems to be the story of our season so far that we have given away soft goals again.

"The first goal took a deflection off one of our players, which was frustrating, and the second one was a situation where our defenders were caught watching the ball."

It does not make Laws' job any easier to know it is far from always the same individuals at fault.

"It's difficult to address, because it seems to be different players making mistakes each time - and the mistakes being made always seem to be different ones," he added.

"We need to bounce back again at Watford now and hope the players will respond."

While Laws has a headache at the back, opposite number Malky Mackay has no such problems at Watford.

The Scot was full of praise for goalkeeper Scott Loach, after a string of stunning saves helped them to a 1-1 draw at Ipswich in midweek.

Loach kept his side in the game at Portman Road, before Nathan Ellington struck deep into stoppage-time to earn Watford a point.

Mackay was delighted to see another impressive performance from the 21-year-old.

He said: "He was fantastic and showed why he is England's Under-21 goalkeeper.

"He was outstanding, as he has been for most of the season.

"I think him standing up against Ipswich, putting his shoulders back, sticking his chest out and being the man he was certainly kept us in the game at times."

Mackay will check on midfielder Tom Cleverley, who took a whack on the head at Middlesbrough on Saturday which forced him to miss the Ipswich match. Striker Heidar Helguson is close to returning from the calf injury he suffered last month, but the match may come too soon.

Ellington could push for a rare start after his late leveller as a substitute at Portman Road.

The Owls will hand late fitness tests to Richard Wood (ankle), Marcus Tudgay (neck) and Etienne Esajas (knee).