Henrik Pedersen praises ‘important’ Sheffield Wednesday factor which helps ‘push’ the Owls

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Winning away from home is always a tough task in the Championship, but for Sheffield Wednesday, it has never been more difficult.

The EFL placed Sheffield Wednesday under a new double embargo last week, and they have had to contend with a multitude of off-field issues in the last few months, yet their limited squad pulled off a huge surprise on Saturday.

Henrik Pedersen’s side beat Portsmouth 2-0 at Fratton Park over the weekend, pushing the South Yorkshire outfit four points clear of bitter rivals Sheffield United – who are currently bottom of the table.

Supporters of Sheffield Wednesday hailed one Portsmouth fan for a touching gesture in supporting their plight, yet it was those in the away end who Pedersen made sure to praise.

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Henrik Pedersen expresses delight with the Sheffield Wednesday supporters

Pompey had enjoyed a strong start to the season, and after a 0-0 draw away to their rivals Southampton, John Mousinho said that his Portsmouth players were too confident.

Sheffield Wednesday made them pay, with goals from Barry Bannan and George Brown enough to secure all three points. After the game, the Owls fans stayed behind to celebrate with the team.

This delighted Pedersen, and he was honoured to see that support. He said (via: The Star): “It’s fantastic. Me, the staff and the boys went over there to celebrate them. This is very, very important for me. It’s nice, and it’s to really say thank you to them for their support from the first to the last minute.

“They stay there for us every time. They support us, and push us, and they’re a fantastic mirror for us – so a big thanks to all of the fans.”

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Sheffield Wednesday’s away form was vital last season

The Owls are bottom of the home form table right now, and they are yet to score a goal at Hillsborough, conceding eight times already.

However, on the road, they have picked up four points from three games and this resilience has been impressive to see.

Yet, it is something that was a key strength for Danny Rohl at Sheffield Wednesday before he left in the summer. The Owls had the fifth best away record in the Championship last season, while the team struggled on their own patch.

With more protests planned at Hillsborough in the next few weeks, there may be a continuation of this pattern and it would not be a surprise to see the club perform more strongly away from home, where the focus from the stands is on the pitch rather than off it.