Sheffield Wednesday will shake off Hull penalty injustice, says senior man

Sheffield Wednesday have left the disappointment of Tuesday’s defeat at Hull City on the east coast and are now focused only on Saturday’s clash with Wigan, according to Keiren Westwood.
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The goalkeeper, a senior figure in the changing room into his sixth season at Hillsborough, said the squad are fully focused on their final game before the international break despite the injustice of not being awarded a clear cut late penalty in their 1-0 defeat.

The defeat meant Wednesday lost ground in the early days of their push to finish in this season’s play-off places, but Westwood is unperturbed, admitting the result was part of the cut and thrust of Championship football.

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The 34-year-old said: “It was a penalty, I've seen it on the video. But he's not given it and we can't be moaning about stuff like that. It's been and gone. You can analyse it as much as you want but we got beat.

“We just have to focus on Saturday, which is Wigan at home, we need to get that win and that's what we're looking forward to.

“As you've seen on Saturday, we can give teams a good game. I don't think anyone else will go to Middlesbrough and win 4-1.

“But then again we've come to Hull and got beat 1-0. That's the chalk and cheese of the Championship.”

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Wigan will come to Hillsborough in fresh off an important 1-0 win over Birmingham, their second win in three matches. Despite their bottom-half league position, Westwood is under no illusions of the challenges they will pose and highlighted the importance of the side’s home form.

Owls keeper Keiren Westwood says his side are fully focused on the next challenge after disappointment at Hull on Tuesday.Owls keeper Keiren Westwood says his side are fully focused on the next challenge after disappointment at Hull on Tuesday.
Owls keeper Keiren Westwood says his side are fully focused on the next challenge after disappointment at Hull on Tuesday.

“Wigan are a Championship side,” he said, “they’re the same as us, dogged, they'll give everything that they've got and we'll be the same. We want to make Hillsborough a fortress as much as we can.

“Going back home after two away games, we'll obviously be looking to put on a good show and a good performance going into the international break.”

It’s an international break that won’t see the 21-cap keeper included in the Republic of Ireland’s round of matches against Georgia and Switzerland, however, after he was left out of Mick McCarthy’s squad.

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Speaking to the Irish Mirror, McCarthy said it had been a mutual decision, with Westwood unlikely to start ahead of Middlesbrough’s Darren Randolph.

Answering questions on Westwood and Fulham midfielder Harry Arter, he said: “Keiren’s not going to start if Darren Randolph’s there and the other two lads (Mark Travers and Kieran O’Hara) were brilliant in training.

“So I had that conversation with them. If I need them, they’ll be ready but I think they’re both happy enough with my decision.

“They can concentrate on their (club) football without having to tell me. I’m telling them.”