Garry Monk enjoys Sheffield Wednesday's fight, but wishes they showed more composure against Brentford

Garry Monk was pleased with the fight his side showed in the second half against Brentford, and just wished they could have had a bit more composure with it.
SHOT: Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan has an effort on goalSHOT: Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan has an effort on goal
SHOT: Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan has an effort on goal

Brentford outplayed Sheffield Wednesday in the first half at Hillsborough, Ivan Toney scoring twice to give them a 2-1 lead, with Callum Paterson's first Owls goal in between

Reinforced by extra midfield bodies, the hosts were much more solid after the interval without it translating into an equaliser.

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“Especially in the first half we just didn't get the levels of performance that we have been doing, we were just a yard or two off it and when you're playing like a good side against Brentford it can cost you,” said manager Monk.

“The goals could have been avoided but in the second half we were much better at getting up to them and the intensity was at the level we needed but then what we needed to do was have that little bit more composure and be less frantic.

“We wanted to get back into the game but you just have to show that bit of composure and make the right decisions and we didn't quite get that right in the second half.

“It's always fine margins in this league and we were playing against a good side. For whatever reason we just stepped off them a yard or two (in the first half).

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“We showed composure for the goal but we lacked it a little bit overall.

“We know we're performing well enough, we just have to make sure we bounce back against Luton (at Hillsborough on Saturday). We've got to understand what tonight was and put it right at the weekend.”

The last time Wednesday played Brentford, at Griffin Park, they lost 5-0, one of a number of such capitulations last season. But with his team's resolve strengthened by a 12-point deduction at the start of the campaign – now down to minus four – Monk believes that attitude has changed.

“There were games last season where in that type of situation there was a bit of a feeling of giving up but I don't think the team's got that in them this season,” he said. “They clearly had to fight and step up in the second half, and they did. I was really pleased with that and that's what we have been doing but they defended very well and we didn't quite get the decisions right and deliver with quality.”

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The Owls were not helped by the absence of Massimo Luongo, but the midfielder's injury is not expected to be a long one.

“At Birmingham Massimo just did a tackle in the second half and hyper-extended his knee,” explained Monk. “We've had a bit of bad luck in injuries, they've all come in games agpart from Dom (Iorfa).

“Massimo won't be too long with it but it is still quite swollen so we'll justy have to wait for the swelling to go down.”

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