Emotional Henrik Pedersen struggles to find words for Sheffield Wednesday win at Portsmouth
“What is the word?” Henrik Pedersen grinned, deep in thought for a number of seconds having been asked of his emotions in the moments after Sheffield Wednesday’s win at Portsmouth. “Relief! That is it. Relief!”
He wouldn’t have been the only one after weeks of huge heart but ever-decreasing fortune on the field. His side scrapped and harried and bullied their way to a well deserved 2-0 win against a side that entered the clash as big favourites. Goals from two men at the opposite ends of their football journeys; Barry Bannan and George Brown, earned the three points. It was a sunny afternoon of high emotion.
This is a group of Wednesday players, staff, fans that have been through so much in the last weeks and months. And despite that heart and despite the fightback point at Wrexham, the question was asked this week where the Owls’ next win was coming from. The answer, of course, was Portsea.
“I see how much the boys are investing every day,” an emotional Pedersen continued. “They invest and get a new knock, they invest again and get a new knock. The belief they keep and the courage they have, the togetherness, there is character to these boys. We don’t have the biggest squad, but it about character. To do through so much and to do what they did today needs big respect. And it is something to build on in the future.
“First of all it is about how my staff are working in the process to be better and better and better. To do things a little bit more simple in this game, it helped us quite a lot. And how they worked together; the belief, the confidence was there... there are so many things, but the character the boys showed today was amazing.”
For some Wednesday fans, this evening will provide the first time they dare to take a peek at the Championship table. They’ll find their side third-bottom but within striking distance of a number of those ahead of them. They’ve find Oxford United and - as was noted in the away end at Fratton Park - another side below them. The season’s task remains monumental of course but these are the days for them to celebrate.
From Pedersen’s always-optimistic view, it simply provides them with something to kick on from. “All teams need a win to build something,” he said. “You can say and do all the right things, but if you are never winning, it can be difficult. To see that things are working, the relationships with neighbours... things are working. To create a result is helping to let us grow.”