Sheffield Wednesday show necessary commitment to hold off Shrewsbury and maintain pressure on League One rivals

And yet, in a perverse way, Sheffield Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Shrewsbury Town highlighted why we love the English domestic game.

The top two tiers in England may be on a mid-season break, but life in League One and below carries on.

Just like the Owls’ unbeaten run, which now stretches to seven league games after Mark McGuinness’ first-half header provided decisive and sent the majority of the 24,271 supporters away happy, even if they were drenched by the time they arrived back home.

Wednesday lacked a ruthless streak to kill the Shrews off – which resulted in a nervous finale, Owls boss Darren Moore wonderfully likenening it to ‘a little bit of anarchy’ – but what the game lacked in quality, more than made up for in terms of hard graft and commitment.

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru was denied an early goal as former Doncaster Rovers goalkeeper Marko Marosi thwarted the midfielder from close-range in front of the Kop. Alex Mighten was a livewire - stationed wide on the left in a tactical move by Moore to try and break down Shrewsbury’s defensive block - and his cross was volleyed over by Josh Windass.

Just as frustrations started to creep in, Wednesday broke the deadlock. Barry Bannan’s 39th-minute corner headed in at the near post by McGuinness.

Michael Smith headed just wide after the break, before Bannan was denied by a fine save from Marosi on 76 minutes. The visitors sniffed a way back into the contest, chasing just a one-goal deficit and - with panic setting in during a frantic final 15 minutes - Matt Pennington and ex-Owl Chey Dunkley both came close to snatching an unlikely equaliser.

“When all others are losing their heads, it’s up to us to be in control,” Moore said. “Whatever is happening is happening around us, we have to stay in control on the pitch. We had to remain in control.

“A little bit of anarchy got onto the pitch towards the end and that’s understandable because naturally you defend a little deeper thinking there’s safety in that – actually that can be an Achilles heel and you have to get up the pitch.

“There were chances to get out and counter attack, but because of the mindset we were in, we lost the ball silly. For the boys, sometimes you have to go through these experiences for the boys to learn from it and they will learn from it.

"But it is another three points and the run continues.”

Third-placed Wednesday – just three points behind leaders Plymouth Argyle in the table – have scored 35 goals in 19 league games this season. Strangely, McGuinness’ strike was the first goal from an Owls centre-half this campaign.

The defender – on a season-long loan from Championship outfit Cardiff City – has impressed since switching to Hillsborough.

"Him and Icky (Ihiekwe) will get the plaudits for the clean sheet, but as an individual, I think he has been excellent for us,” said Moore. “The icing on the cake for him was scoring today."

Sheffield Wednesday: Stockdale, Iorfa (Palmer 83), Ihiekwe, McGuinness, James, Dele-Bashiru (Vaulks 83), Bakinson, Bannan, Windass (Wilks 76), Smith, Mighten (Gregory 69). Unused substitutes: Paterson, Shipston, Dawson.

Shrewsbury: Marosi, Pennington, Dunkley, Flanagan, Moore, Winchester, Leahy, Shipley (Pyke 76), Bayliss, Saydee, Street (Bloxham 80). Unused substitutes: Bowman, Burgoyne, Barlow, Bailey, Hutchings.

Referee: A Woolmer (Northamptonshire).