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Laws hails Owls 'biggest win in long time'
BRIAN Laws today hailed Sheffield Wednesday's "major result" and spotlighted the key men who made the victory against Preston North End possible.
The Owls rose from the bottom three to 19th in the table with their first win in seven games.
Manager Laws paid tribute to scorers Akpo Sodje and Francis Jeffers and sub Etienne Esajas - and revealed that he dare not look when Jeffers sank his match-winning penalty.
He said: "This is the biggest result we have had in a long time; it's a major result for us.
"We didn't want to go through the next 11 days without a win in seven games and bottom of the table. We needed to win, no matter how we got the result.
"It was scrappy but we showed big hearts."
The Owls came from behind to win with a 51st minute goal by Sodje and Jeffers's 82nd minute spot kick.
Laws added: "When I saw Franny pick the ball up, I couldn't look. He's only just come back; it was a big ask. I didn't look; thankfully the crowd told me he had scored.
"I told him at the end that I should have had more faith!"
Laws sent Jeffers and Esajas on after half-time: "We got a lift from Etienne. He was raining in some shots from distance and it was a great ball by him to Marcus Tudgay that led to the penalty.
"Akpo deserves massive credit; he had only just come off the treatment table and he played two full games in two days. He showed loads of enthusiasm and he's a great kid to work with. I'm delighted for him.
"He epitomised what we needed in the second half. The pressure has been mounting on strikers Marcus Tudgay and Deon Burton; now the other strikers are coming back it could bring the best out of them."
Laws admitted that the penalty decision for handball may have been debatable - a Tudgay volley hit full-back Matthew Hill.
"Was it ball to hand? I wasn't sure," said the Owls chief. "The referee was a bit indifferent for both sides; he gave the penalty; I'd like to see again."
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Weather for Sheffield
Friday 10 February 2012
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Temperature: -6 C to 0 C
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