‘Let’s remember Sheffield Wednesday went top of League One this weekend’

That was the message of Darren Moore after the Owls’ draw with Lincoln City on Saturday, with the Wednesday boss keeping an even keel in terms of his outlook after what he felt were two improved and ultimately under-rewarded performances off the back of an ‘unacceptable’ performance at Forest Green Rovers.

Moore said he and his players feel they did enough to win in back-to-back draws – they came back from behind to draw 2-2 at Cheltenham Town on Wednesday evening – and pointed to the number of shots taken and xG figures as an indication of their progress in performance, if not necessarily in results.

A run of three points picked up from a possible 15 means Wednesday have been unable to capitalise on a position that had them sat with a number of games in hand on their closest rivals.

Their whirlwind catch-up fixture schedule now sees them a game ahead of the four teams below them. Plymouth Argyle and Ipswich Town can overtake the Owls with wins, while Barnsley can cut their deficit on Wednesday to two points.

Vitally, Ipswich and Barnsley play one another on April 25. And as Wednesday have found out to their detriment over the past fortnight, points on the board can prove to be far more valuable than games in hand.

Moore’s message was one of togetherness and positivity.

“We’ve been on this wonderful, consistent run of games,” he said. “And it goes to show that the wonderful run of games across the course of the season – and we’re talking six or seven months – has allowed us to be top of the league with seven to go. Let’s remember that.

“It’s been a joint effort from everybody and right now is not the time to have those wobbles. We can’t.

“We’ve gone into the changing room top of the league today. Let’s remember that and keep that feeling.”

The feeling at Hillsborough on Saturday was not one usually associated with a result that took a team top, such is the nervousness around their form wobble and the jostling for position below them.

Moore implored supporters to join in him in looking forward, not down the table.

“We want for us to not look the other way,” he said. “We’ll continue to look up and that’s what I’ll do. If we all get into the mindset of that [looking over shoulders], then that isn’t going to help.

“We’re all here, we’re all Sheffield Wednesday, we’re all on this journey together and that has to be the focus and the momentum. Certainly as manager that’s how I’m going to look at it.

“It’s five games without a win and we’ve gone top of the league. The performances in the last couple of games have shown we should have won both games.”

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