Sheffield Wednesday ended their goal drought against Millwall on Saturday - but it was not enough to prevent them from suffering another defeat.

Manager Henrik Pedersen believes Sheffield Wednesday’s players will take a degree of confidence into Sunday’s Steel City derby against Sheffield United, despite being condemned to a tenth successive defeat against Millwall on Saturday.

The Owls, who could be officially relegated to League One this week, were edged out by the promotion-cashing Lions at Hillsborough, losing 2-1. Jamal Lowe opened the scoring for Wednesday after an hour, ending their ten-game goalless run, but Millwall turned the game on its head in the blink of an eye.

First, Wednesday youngster Cole McGhee found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time to put Tom Watson’s low cross into his own net before Macauley Langstaff guided home Femi Azeez’s cross from the opposite flank just two minutes later to seal all three points for the Londoners.

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Although the result pushed Wednesday one step closer towards the trapdoor, it was one of their better performances, with their second half showing particularly encouraging. Pedersen’s troops started the second half the better and were worthy of the game’s opening goal.

And having ended their seven-week wait for a goal, Pedersen, who was also pleased with the manner of his side’s performance, insists his team will have gained plenty of confidence ahead of their trip across town this weekend.

“Of course it gives the boys confidence that we create more chances, where we could score,” Pedersen told The Star. “There's a difference between a possibility and a chance.

Pedersen spotted improvements in Millwall defeat

“But it was not only possibilities, it was also chances. We scored a goal and we created something when we won the ball, but we also created something when we were in the build-up.

“So, of course, it will give the boys confidence. But I also think it gives the boys confidence that we can match a team like Millwall from the physical side for the coming games and that they could match from the duel maybe one of the strongest teams physically.

“I think we won 51 per cent of all the duels. But this is necessary, but it's strong from our young guys.”

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Unfortunately for Pedersen, he is not expected to recover any of Wednesday’s injured players for the short hop to Bramall Lane with the visit of Southampton the following weekend being targeted as a more realistic target date.

The Owls are still without the likes of Pierce Charles, Sean Fusire, Dominic Iorfa, Max Lowe, Di’Shon Bernard, Ernie Weaver and Nathaniel Chalobah.