Honest talks and meals in town: How Sheffield Wednesday kept their team spirit through tough times

Euphoria, relief; the minute or so after his header hit the back of the net offered very best of what football can offer a supporter after a two-month run of misery.

But what was especially revealing was the nature of the celebration itself. Where some footballers dive in the crowd and others point to the name on the back of their shirt, Fletcher’s was an image of a football team united.

That’s not always been an image associated with Sheffield Wednesday in recent weeks. There have been accusations of rifts, spats and splinters; of players not interested and issues with the manager.

It’s an easy veil to throw on a side in freefall on the pitch but the fact is nothing has been further from the truth off it, according to the players themselves.

There have been honest discussions and frank conversations, Garry Monk’s public dressing down of the squad at Wigan a prime example, but Scots duo Barry Bannan and Steven Fletcher maintain it was a dressing room devoid of swagger rather than one that was split down the middle.

“I think confidence has taken a dent in the past couple of weeks,” Bannan said. “It’s been tough to play in but after the week we have had, we have had meetings between ourselves, doing team meals and stuff and that's helped.”

That ability to self-police is a theme running through most great sport teams and given the experience gathered at Middlewood Road, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise the Fletcher and co have taken that mantle.

Photos of the squad dining at a Sheffield restaurant bounced around social media last week and offered up the refreshing image of a tight-knit group.

And though that was given credit for a four day mini-revival in the look and feel of the side at Birmingham and then against Charlton, Fletcher said it’s nothing out of the ordinary for a group of men that enjoy one another’s company.

Fletcher said: “We do make a habit of getting together at times. We went to that restaurant and everyone saw us, so it did make it look like we've done it for a reason. We always try to get together. We're a close-knit bunch.

“We've spoken to each other inside the training ground, we know what we're capable of and what we need to do. It's hard work more than anything, in this league if you work hard you're going to reap the rewards.”

Asked about the accusations of players throwing in the towel during a long run of poor form they are just about climbing out of, Fletcher said: “It's not nice to hear that about your team.

“I'm around them every day and I know that they have the belief and they've got the drive to go on and win games. It didn't look like that, even when I'm sat up in the stand for the last seven or eight weeks.”