The punishment hard-working Sheffield Wednesday man will face after harsh Portsmouth red card – with no appeal possible

Both yellows were highly debatable – but Dominic Iorfa was shown a red card in Sheffield Wednesday’s 1-0 win at Portsmouth on Saturday and faces time on the sidelines as the Owls look to close in on the League One title.
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Iorfa was sent off in the 78th minute of Wednesday’s win at Fratton Park and will now sit out of Friday’s Hillsborough battle with Bolton Wanderers, with no recourse with regard to any form of possible appeal by the Owls due to the fact referee Ben Toner sent Iorfa off by virtue of two yellows rather than a straight red card.

Iorfa’s sit-out will be only the second match he has sit out of since the turn of the year. The former Wolves man has been on a huge journey of improvement – at least in terms of consistency in recent years. He was taken out of the team early in the season after a form wobble.

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“It’s testament to Dom,” Moore said. “At the start of the season there was nothing the matter with him, it was maybe just a case of him trying too hard for it because of how hard he wants it.

Sheffield Wednesday's Dominic Iorfa is sent off during the Sky Bet League One match at Fratton Park, Portsmouth. Picture date: Saturday March 11, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Portsmouth. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire.

RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.Sheffield Wednesday's Dominic Iorfa is sent off during the Sky Bet League One match at Fratton Park, Portsmouth. Picture date: Saturday March 11, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Portsmouth. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire.

RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.
Sheffield Wednesday's Dominic Iorfa is sent off during the Sky Bet League One match at Fratton Park, Portsmouth. Picture date: Saturday March 11, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Portsmouth. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.

“Sometimes when you take a player out he can start to look at it from the outside looking into the pitch. At the end of the day he was just trying too hard.

“He is so detailed and focused about his work, he’s an absolute joy to work with and I’m so pleased to have been able to come in and work at this time with him because he has all the attributes to be a real top, top central defender.”

Natural attributes Iorfa may well possess but it is in the extra hours on the training ground that his success is achieved, Moore said.

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“At the same time, that extra work he does after training week after week is huge and has contributed to his game,” he said.

“He’s solid in and out of possession and we keep challenging him every single week to get even better. He has that desire to go out every day and get better and whenever you have a pro with that mindset there’s always space for improvement. Credit to him.”

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