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Irvine's Owls pass character test
SHEFFIELD Wednesday manager Alan Irvine said that his side's victory could be 'vital' in the battle against the drop.
The Owls would have climbed out of the relegation zone if Sheffield United had not lost to Crystal Palace but there are now seven clubs in the bottom of the table who are separated by just a point.
With Peterborough and Plymouth Argyle starting to fall away, the scramble is developing to avoid the third and final relegation spot.
"It was vital to get back to winning ways and this was a huge win, no question, especially when you look at what it has done to the table," said Irvine.
"We know that we need plenty more wins between now and the end of the season to make sure we are in this division again."
The Owls had suffered four defeats in five games prior to Saturday and were humiliated 5-0 by Reading the weekend before.
Click here to read Ian Appleyard's match report from Hillsborough >>
Irvine said: "It was a great response to a very poor performance last week. It is one thing to respond on the training ground, but it is another to respond on the pitch.
"The lads followed the game-plan absolutely brilliantly but I spoke to them before the game and said the biggest thing of all was going to be 'character', the mental characteristics that make up a good footballer, and they showed that. One of those characteristics is having the toughness to go and do it again and again. When you get that, you get consistency."
Only defender Lewis Buxton is still on the treatment table ahead of tomorrow's trip to West Bromwich Albion.
"It was nice to be in a position where I had big decisions to make both in terms of the team and the subs," he said. "We actually had people who were fit sitting in the stands for a change!"
Leicester manager Nigel Pearson, who spent seven years with the Owls and lifted the League Cup as club captain nearly two decades ago, says his former club will avoid relegation this season.
"It was a poor game on a poor pitch and we didn't cope with their style. They have obviously gone back to basics and played a high-tempo simplified game.
"They played with a lot of energy and relentlessly put the balls in the channels or up to the front men and scored an early goal which was always going to be important. I don't think we were awful, we just didn't cope with what they produced."
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
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Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
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