Praise for ‘absolutely superb’ Sheffield Wednesday striker after starring role

Smith was a key reason why Joe Jacobson bundled the ball into his own net to open the scoring, and he then turned provider as he set up Barry Bannan for Wednesday’s second in their 3-1 win at Hillsborough, and his manager was delighted with his performance.

The 30-year-old was brought in to add to more physical element to the Owl’s attack, and he did exactly that alongside Lee Gregory against a Chairboys side known for their boisterous style of play.

When asked if games like the Wycombe one were exactly what Smith was brought on board for, Moore replied, “Yeah, but also for the other games against teams like Ipswich…

“I think Smudger, the way he uses his body, is absolutely superb. We get the ball into him, he uses his body to get the team up the pitch, and obviously in the opposition’s box he’s a threat.

“I thought him and Greggers worked well, I think both gave us a target to aim for which we knew we’d need, and I thought both were excellent.

“But in terms of Smudger, the way he went about his job, it was a really good performance.”

Smith and Gregory linked up well through the game as they led the line at S6, and both fans and their manager will be hoping to see more of that in weeks to come.

The Owls boss also added, “We brought them in for goals, but you could see the other side of them in how they lead the line, they are robust and can do the nitty-gritty at both ends.

"They won some big headers in defensive positions with their height and physicality, which I was pleased about. Both of them can be really pleased with their performances and it went a long way to us getting three points."

Wednesday face Port Vale on Saturday at 3pm as they look to make it three away wins in a row for the first time since back in 2017.

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