Garry Monk pleased Sheffield Wednesday's improved mentality gets its reward

Garry Monk was pleased to see his Sheffield Wednesday side rewarded for their never-say-die mentality – and to not have to trot out another post-match sob story.
Read More
Sheffield Wednesday 1 Charlton Athletic 0: Steven Fletcher ends Owls’ long wait ...

With seconds to go at Hillsborough, the Owls were heading from a 0-0 draw from a game they had completely dominated.

But Steven Fletcher headed a scrappy goal at a stoppage-time free-kick to earn his side a thoroughly deserved victory over Charlton Athletic.

Steven Fletcher celebrates scoring Sheffield Wednesday's very late winnerSteven Fletcher celebrates scoring Sheffield Wednesday's very late winner
Steven Fletcher celebrates scoring Sheffield Wednesday's very late winner
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Substitute Fletcher returned from a knee injury at the weekend, but Monk felt the biggest thing that had changed after his side's terrible post-Christmas run was their attitude. They had shown a much better mindset in Saturday's 3-3 draw at Birmingham City without claiming all three points and it looked like being the same again.

“I'm just pleased to say something different,” said a smiling Monk afterwards.

“The main thing is we deserved to win that game but as the seconds ticked down I thought I was going to be coming in here and saying we did everything but put the ball in the net.

“The last two games we were much more like ourselves. In the last two games we've fought back to where we were before Christmas. We would have liked to do it a lot earlier.

“We went right to the very end and kept pushing.

“We haven't really changed anything. For me it's mentality.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“When the group is right at it, that's when their capabilities come out. I thought that's why we got to third place but we've let ourselves down at times.”

Fletcher scored 12 goals before Christmas but was ill over the Festive period and stretchered off in the FA Cup third-round victory against Brighton and Hove Albion with a knee injury. He has been badly missed, with one league win in 11 matches and none in seven before the win over Charlton.

“I think it's obvious how important Steven is to us but I don't want to use that as an excuse,” said Monk. “He was having a fantastic season up to that point (when he got injured).

“The key now is maintaining his fitness and making sure he's available for the rest of the season.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“He's not fully fit but, like Morgan Fox (who started the game) with each minute on the pitch they'll get more fitness. In these three-game weeks you don't get to do much training on the pitch.”

If Fletcher scored the winning goal, Fernando Forestieri was the star performer until his precision made way for some battering-ram substitutes.

“The only thing he lacked was a goal or two,” commented Monk.

Monk even took heart from the way his players enjoyed the winner.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I think you can see from the celebration how together everyone is,” he argued.

“It's only two games but we need to maintain that.

“We've let the fans down and ourselves down here with some of the scorelines we've had. To send the fans away with a win was important.”

Lee Bowyer was adamant Fletcher should never have got the chance to score his winner, adamant that a foul should not have been given on another substitute, Atdhe Nuhiu, in front of the dugouts in the final seconds of stoppage time.

“100 per cent it wasn't a foul for their goal,” said the former Leeds midfielder. “The ref said my players sandwiched him, a 6ft 7in striker!

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I'm sure it's still a contact sport. It was a metre in front of me. It was never a foul.

“If he (referee Oliver Langford) does his job properly it ain't a foul., We deserved to get a point tiday and we came away with nothing because of a decision.”

Monk had no sympathy for his opposite number.

“About time,” he said when Bowyer's comments were put to him. “We've had quite a few of them against us.

“I can't even remember it if I'm honest.”