Steel City derby reaction: A night to remember admits Sheffield Wednesday star Cameron Dawson
That was Sheffield-born goalkeeper Cameron Dawson after his man-of-the-match performance in Friday night’s 0-0 Steel City derby.
The 23-year-old goalkeeper - playing in his first Sheffield derby - produced a stunning one-handed penalty save to deny David McGoldrick and was assured behind an Owls defence which had shipped 12 goals in their last four games.
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Hide AdAn Owls supporter and one of six Academy graduates in the Wednesday squad at Bramall Lane, Dawson has been Jos Luhukay’s choice for the No 1 shirt despite the experience of Keiren Westwood and joe Wildsmith on the sidelines.
But Dawson said: "It meant the world to me to play in the fixture, especially when there have been questions asked.
”This (the Sheffield derby) is the biggest fixture in football for me because I have grown up in this city.”
His spot-kick save - he also denied Norwich City from the penalty spot six days earlier - was the key moment in a one-sided contest, with United unable to break down a stubborn Owls defence.
"What a time to have another save,” said Dawson.
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Hide Ad"I was fortunate that the save last week (against Norwich) just buys you a bit of confidence.
"I was really backing myself to dig it out and I guessed right.
"To dig that penalty save out in front of our fans and hear them go barmy behind me was great.
"I will have to watch it back because it was all a bit of a blur from there on in.
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Hide Ad"The boys gave absolutely everything. We have been questioned over the last four games and it was nice to have 11 lads out there fighting every last drop and every last minute for each other.
"Fortunately, we got the clean sheet in the end. It was pure graft for 90 minutes."
It was wednesday’s first clean sheet in the Championship at the 17th attempt.
"I was massively relieved to keep a clean sheet," Dawson said. "Of course, you are going to get questions asked (when you are conceding goals) and that's fine.
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Hide Ad"I have been saying it does not bother me and the lads have said it doesn't bother them but I think, deep down, if you go 16 games without keeping a clean sheet it is going to affect people and it is in the back of their minds.
"We were all deflecting and saying we were getting on with it but it was important and massive to keep a clean sheet. Hopefully it gives everyone a lift now that we can go and win games 1-0 or 2-0 and really start from a solid base."