Portsmouth v Sheffield Wednesday: Danny Cowley fires back at George Hirst's treatment and praises Owls man

The former Owls youngster, who left the Hillsborough club under controversial circumstances in 2016 and is on loan at Pompey from Leicester City, is the son of Wednesday legend David and faced a barrage of chants from the crowd in a raucous atmosphere.

Asked about that treatment after the game, Portsmouth boss Cowley said knowingly: “I didn’t hear their supporters, ours were so loud.

“George was a real handful all evening. He held it up for us, he linked the play, he ran down the sides of them and did everything but find the goal. It was a good performance from him.”

Speaking to BBC Solent, Cowley had praise for one Sheffield Wednesday man in particular.

Bailey Peacock-Farrell made four saves in the match, a couple of real quality, to take the man of the match award.

“I thought he was exceptional,” Cowley said. “Some of the saves he made were incredible. That’s what he’s there for I suppose and out goalkeeper was equally as good in what he had to do. It was a really good standard League One game to be honest.

“We that that goal was coming. We had such ascendancy, particularly when they went down to 10 men. The chances that did fall maybe just fell to the wrong players at times.”

The point keeps both sides well within touch of the promotion places with Pompey a point and a place behind Wednesday.

Cowley was pleased with his side’s performance and praised his players’ efforts in what have been difficult circumstances in recent weeks.

He said: “We’re really pleased with the performance when you consider the amount that has gone against us over the last 10 days; illness in the group, availability, an injury list that is getting bigger and bigger.

“When you consider that Sheffield Wednesday come here with a free weekend and we’d played Saturday, I thought the energy, intensity and aggression we played with was really good. The performance had everything but that final act.”