Former Sheffield Wednesday man Sam Winnall on returning to haunt Owls after fan ovation

Winnall, who scored six goals for Wednesday in 43 appearances, netted his 100th senior goal to open the scoring in Burton’s 3-2 Hillsborough win.

“I’ve been looking forward to getting a start here,” Winnall said. “I knew that was lingering.

“I’d been on 99 goals for quite a while and I’m just glad to get it out of the way to be honest, it was more of a relief than anything.

“The lads have put a hell of a shift in today because this is a difficult place to come and get a win. We got off to a great start and kicked on in the second half as well. It’s a great night for everyone involved and it’s something we can kick off from.”

Making his first start for the club since rejoining earlier month, Winnall had hoped to play a more extensive part in his Hillsborough return but was always due for an hour-long run-out.

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He said: “Dino [Maamria, Burton manager] was very clear and said I wasn’t going to get 90, which I was obviously a little disappointed about coming back here.

“It’s a slow process. It’s been a long time since I’ve played regular football, that’s my first start in a year when it comes to competitive football.

“It’s a slow process and I have to trust that and build up slowly. Getting a good 60 minutes under my belt can do no harm.”