Liam Palmer on Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore's special quality as the Owls season reaches its climax

While some in the upper echelons of League One are faltering in terms of form, Sheffield Wednesday appear to be holding their nerve when it matters.

When you have a manager in Darren Moore, who invariably has an aura of calm about him, it also helps, according to defender Liam Palmer.

The Owls' 1-0 victory over relegated Crewe on Tuesday was not straightforward, but Wednesday ultimately got the job done.

It secured their second win over Easter on a night when defeats for Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United and MK Dons maintained the Hillsborough outfit's outside chance of finishing in the second automatic position spot.

Moore's fourth-placed side are four points off second-placed Rotherham with three matches to go, but the last thing that the Owls chief will be doing is getting giddy - and with good reason.

The sole focus will be on Saturday's testing trip to a Wycombe side who are just two points behind them and currently occupy the final play-off spot.

On Moore, Palmer said: "He’s a calming influence. Especially at times when, as the saying goes, you need to keep your head when everyone else loses theirs.

"You can get drawn into being frustrated at yourself or frustrated at others - but he recognises a need for calm.

"He’s not always calm, though, he knows when to put his foot down and have a word, and I think that he does that really well.

"He makes us realise that it’s not as bad as what the missed chances can make it feel - and we’ve ended up winning (against Crewe), so ultimately he sees the bigger picture as a manager. And that’s something that the players value."

Wednesday broke the resistance of Alex with a 55th-minute penalty from Lee Gregory. It was a night when the Owls had 17 chances to the visitors' one, but won by just a single goal. One was enough.

"Looking back on the balance of play I don't think anyone can say we didn't deserve it," Moore opined.

"As long as we're creating chances, we'll score.

"I'm pleased with the three points, I'm pleased with the clean sheet.

"We have consistency and momentum. It was a tough game. Crewe have been relegated but they didn't just lie down. In the middle of the pitch they made it very, very competitive.

"We had 17 shots to their one, but we still had to be careful and cautious."