Shrewsbury boss Steve Cotterill comments on Sheffield Wednesday fanbase after deserved win

The Shrews feared fatigue having come off a run of four matches in a fortnight but continued their resurgence in form thanks to Matthew Pennington’s headed winner.

He admitted Wednesday’s recent layoff due to a Covid outbreak will have cost them, however, and paid testament to the quality of Darren Moore’s side and the commitment of their supporters.

Cotterill said: “Sometimes when you go on after not playing a lot of football, it’s very difficult, as Sheffield Wednesday found out when they played Sunderland after not playing football. They might be fit young men but you can lose fitness very quickly.

“We had great heart, character and courage from us at the end.”

“It was tough,” he continued. “That was our third game in the week against a really good team.

“They may have lost their last game but they’re a really good team that has some really good players with an incredible support behind them everywhere they go.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game and with it being the third game this week it has become a really difficult week for us.

“It’s been an incredibly difficult week and in that last 25 minutes that clock seemed to be going a lot slower than what I was hoping, that’s for sure.”

The defeat keeps Wednesday at arm’s length of the playoff places, six points back, and 12 points back on the ever-more-fanciful top two.