Ipswich Town manager heaps praise on ‘one of the best’ Sheffield Wednesday before sell-out clash

More than 29,000 will make the trip to Portman Road – including over 2,000 Wednesdayites – for this afternoon’s first v third clash in Suffolk, and there’s lots on the line as the hosts try and close the gap on the visitors and Darren Moore hopes to end the weekend even further ahead of the Tractor Boys than he already is.

The Owls fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in the reverse fixture back in September, and the two sides have both won plenty of games since then to keep up their hunt for promotion – it’s Wednesday, however, sitting pretty at the top going into this one.

McKenna knows it’s going to be a challenge in this afternoon’s fixture, and is hoping the big home crowd can do their bit.

"Sheffield Wednesday are certainly one of the best teams in the division and we want to be competing against the best teams," he told Ipswich’s iFollow.

"It should be a great game to be involved in because there will be good support and it's a match between two good teams. We need to focus on the performance but also look forward to the occasion and once again look forward to playing in front of a full Portman Road.

"Wednesday are an incredibly consistent side and have lots of individual quality, with great physicality in terms of big and strong players. They can win games in lots of ways and they are on a good run for a reason.

"We have to focus on ourselves, though, and we haven't played them at home yet since I have been here, so that's something I am looking forward to.

"I always back that, if we are at our best, we are a very difficult team to play against.

"Just as it's a challenge for us, it is for them and if we can find a high-level of performance tomorrow, and have the fans right behind us, then that's something they will feel tomorrow."

Wednesday and Ipswich will lock horns at 3pm this afternoon in their second top three clash in the space of a week.

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