Sheffield Wednesday's Darren Moore praises 'spot on' Ben Heneghan and Michael Ihiekwe and an update on George Byers

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY boss Darren Moore saluted the resolve of Ben Heneghan and Michael Ihiekwe, who stood tall as the Owls' produced an on-message defensive performance following some high-profile errors of late en route to a 3-1 victory over Wycombe

A 37th-minute opener - an own goal from Joe Jacobson, who netted under pressure from Michael Smith - and a strike with the final action of the game from substitute Callum Paterson buttressed the hosts' success, as the Owls moved up to third place in League One.

The performances of the likes of Smith, Lee Gregory Will Vaulks, Marvin Johnson and Barry Bannan, who struck the hosts second provided positivity for the hosts, but his side's game management at the back was particularly praised by Moore.

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He said: "We got that one spot on and everything was into Vokes and with first-time contacts, I thought he (Heneghan) was immense and absolutely solid and I was so pleased for him as with the strain he had, I probably brought him back seven days early, but I thought it was a gamble we had to take because of the type of game.

Owls manager Darren Moore. Picture: Press Association.Owls manager Darren Moore. Picture: Press Association.
Owls manager Darren Moore. Picture: Press Association.

"That was why we gave him 45 minutes against Burton, to blow off a few cobwebs. We did not want to stretch him too much.

"I said to Ben and Iky that this game was right up their street. With Reece James alongside them, with his tenacity and aggression it was excellent and he gives us a lovely 'out' on the left. It thought it was a game where both would have to stand up and be counted and both of them did.

"It was a good game. I thought we made a blistering start which is what we wanted. They equalised but it didn't deter us.

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"There were some wonderful passages of play from us. We asked a lot of questions of the opposition."

On George Byers, not involved due to injury, Moore added: "George could just not put that pressure through his foot and it was a decision we had to take and not take the risk as in these games, you have to be 100 per cent fit. I just took him out of it completely. We will assess him again next week and see how he is."