Marvin Johnson on why heartache is constantly driving on Sheffield Wednesday

FOR THE second season in succession, it has all the makings of being a super-intense race for automatic promotion in League One, which already looks like it will go down to the wire.

In the final analysis, three into two just won't go and the unfortunate team who finish third and miss out on the top two may have to contend with a heavy psychological fall-out.

For Sheffield Wednesday, the motivation to avoid that fate is especially high according to Marvin Johnson.

When League One resumes again in December - the FA Cup takes precedence this coming weekend - attention is inescapably drawn to the situation at top of the table.

Three points separate Wednesday, in third, with leaders Plymouth, with Argyle having dropped points in their last two matches against Burton Albion and Lincoln City.

Ipswich, a point ahead of the Owls, had also drawn their previous two games heading into last weekend's fixtures - ahead of claiming a relieving victory at Exeter City.

As it stands, Darren Moore's side are the hunter as opposed to the hunted.

In a gripping top-two contest, it could well change as autumn turns into winter.

Sheffield Wednesday's Marvin Johnson. Picture: Steve Ellis.

Heading into December, Wednesday are nine points clear of fourth-placed Peterborough United. There is a fair chance that come early May, the team who finish third will have a considerable points advantage over the teams below them in the top six at season's end.

It will mean little when the play-offs start. A new competition.

Wednesday also possess an extra driver in their quest to avoid the end-of-season lottery. The heartache of last season against Sunderland.

Johnson said: "Our away performance was not too great and we were quite lucky to come back at 1-0.

"But in the second leg back here, you could see the way we started the game and we have started this season exactly the same.

"We were on top of them for maybe 85 or 88 minutes and then we conceded a late goal, which wasn't great.

"The pain that everyone felt then should be enough to drive us in the situation where we think we don't want to go through the play-offs again and hopefully we can finish far enough away from them.

"We know that feeling and don't want to extend our season again and possibly have that same feeling and have to come back and do all that work over again. Hopefully we can perform better this time."

The winter grind is about to begin. It is a time when the teams with the strongest squads should come into their own.

In that respect, Wednesday look particularly well stocked.

Yet they will be tested next time out on the league front for sure.

A Derby County side who are getting their act together under Paul Warne lie in wait at Pride Park in an intriguing fixture on Saturday week.

Johnson added: "We know we have players who can come on in any situation and change a game and that strength of the squad is key and we have different players for different games and lots of good players to come off the bench."