Darren Moore gives succinct answer to why Sheffield Wednesday went to long ball tactics in Lincoln City draw
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The Owls pushed giant centre-half Aden Flint into the box for periods and had the likes of Michael Smith and Lee Gregory set as target men in the latter stages of a clash that saw the Imps set out to frustrate Darren Moore’s promotion-chasing side.
Though it wasn’t necessarily pretty by the standards of modern football it was effective, with some of Wednesday’s best second-half chances arriving courtesy of the shift to a more direct style of play.
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Hide AdMuch has been made of the physical size of the Wednesday squad, a factor reflected by Lincoln manager Mark Kennedy, who too felt the home side were at their most dangerous with balls regularly coming into the Imps’ box.
Asked why Wednesday chose to adopt a more gung-ho approach to their passing style, Moore told The Star: “They [Lincoln] had 10 behind the ball; on the 18-yard box, five across the back, four across the midfield and all sitting in.
“They're going to take the point, we wanted all three and we needed to find a way to get all three. That might be down the sides of them, if they're denying space down the sides then we have lads who we can cross to and they can get on the end of it.
“We used the aerial space and got on the end of them, but we just didn't convert the chances. There are many different ways to win the game and that's how we tried to go and win the game today. When they deny you the space you need to get those balls in the box. Lincoln were very resolute, very dogged.”
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Hide AdMichael Smith came close to nodding Wednesday to their first three point haul in five matches right at the death.
The win takes the Owls to the top of the League One table though they lost ground on chasers Barnsley and Ipswich Town.