Sheffield Wednesday 3 Millwall 2: We will always go for the three points, insists Owls boss Jones

A stylish victory over visitors Millwall, courtesy of Jermaine Johnson’s exquisite strike and defender Miguel Llera’s brace, saw Wednesday climb to second in the Championship table and took their goalscoring tally to eight in three games.

The Owls did not have it all their own way, however, and had to come from behind before Llera’s last-gasp goal sealed the points.

“If we have to score more goals than the opposition, then that’s what we will do – that’s the way we have to do it,” said Jones, now unbeaten in 17 games as Wednesday manager.

“We’ve looked to attack teams in this league; you saw that at Derby (2-2) and against Birmingham City (3-2).

“When we got it back to 2-2, we weren’t satisfied with the point; we never are.

“We’ll always go for the full three – that’s how my teams play.

“Sometimes I’d take a scrappy 1-0, though. And I’m sure the fans would, too, but that’s just not our philosophy – it’s definitely a rollercoaster at times.”

Mercurial winger Jermaine Johnson, a talented player who can delight and frustrate in equal measure, got the ball rolling after 20 minutes of sustained Wednesday pressure with an exceptional opening goal that lit up a gloomy Hillsborough.

Picking up the ball 30 yards out, Johnson ran at goal, side-stepped a defender and unleashed a stunning drive that Millwall goalkeeper Maik Taylor could only get a fingertip to before it nestled in the net.

Wednesday’s lead lasted just 15 minutes, however, before James Henry dragged his team back on level terms.

Reda Johnson was caught out by Alan Dunne’s ball over the top, Andy Keogh pulled the ball across the box and Henry curled a delightful finish across home goalkeeper Chris Kirkland and into the Wednesday net.

The Owls continued to press, with widemen Jermaine Johnson and Michail Antonio in particularly fine form, but Jones’s half-time team-talk was altered drastically when Millwall took the lead three minutes before the break through captain Liam Trotter’s clever finish.

“I thought for the first half an hour we were superb,” Jones added.

“And then we took our foot off the gas and allowed them to come back into it.

“I thought we gave away two really sloppy goals on our part, but I told the players at half-time to keep calm and not to panic.

“To their credit they responded; they kept passing and they kept probing, and eventually they got their reward.”

That reward came 23 minutes into the second half when centre-half Llera – who kept ex-Sheffield United striker Darius Henderson quiet all afternoon – showed his prowess in the opposition’s penalty area, too, with a deserved equaliser.

Wednesday’s song for their headguard-wearing Spaniard boasts that he scores from 30 yards, but the defender showed here that he is also pretty deadly from three.

Antonio’s sumptuous cross wreaked havoc in the Millwall box and after Reda Johnson hit a post, Llera forced a good reflex save from Taylor before eventually forcing home the rebound.

After three exquisite goals, Llera’s first goal was a case of from the sublime to the ridiculous and his last-minute second, which proved to be the winner, was a similarly scrappy affair, the defender poking home after substitute Chris O’Grady’s shot was blocked.

“We were the better side throughout and deserved the win,” Jones said.

“Millwall are a good side and we have done well to beat them here.

“Miguel did really well to get his two goals, and Michail had his best game since he came back to the club.

“Overall, I’m pleased because the boys battled to the end.”

Jones’s charges entertain Premier League side Fulham in the Capital One Cup at Hillsborough tomorrow evening.

“This place is buzzing now, and with every win I can go to Milan (Mandaric, the club’s chairman and owner)] and ask for more money to keep building,” Jones smiled.

“It’s a pleasure to be around this club at the moment, everyone’s working incredibly hard and it’s good to see the results on the pitch.

“These are exciting times and I am so pleased for the fans; they’ve had a lot of pain and a lot of hurt in the past, so they deserve the good times when they do arrive.”

Millwall manager Kenny Jackett felt his side caused Wednesday problems and was disappointed with a couple of refereeing decisions following the defeat.

Jackett said: “I didn’t think it was a free-kick on O’Grady from Karleigh Osborne for the (third) goal, I thought it was a fair challenge.

“I thought the ‘goal’ that Keogh scored in the second half; the referee has given that free-kick very quickly.

“There was a lot of pressure on the referee from a very passionate crowd.”