Sheffield Wednesday set to break remarkable club record – ‘rocking Hillsborough’ support praised

Over 33,000 people turned up for the League One table-topper between the Owls and Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, with Callum Paterson sending the home support into raptures with his early goal that proved to be the winner.

It turned out to be Wednesday’s 17th clean sheet of the campaign as Palmer and his defence once again kept their opponents at arm’s length, and he feels that they’re very much moving in the right direction.

“There’s no better atmosphere when the place is rocking,” Palmer said after the Owls claimed top spot. “And everyone is pulling together in the same direction – from the fans, to the coaching staff and the players. I’m delighted for everybody.

“It’s a sign that we’re doing things right, we want to be number one. There’s still a long way to go, but we’re heading… I think for us, it’s a cliché, but it’s just one game at a time. We focus now on going to Fleetwood in midweek, rest up and go again in the cup. We want to keep our momentum going.

“There’s an element of calm when everything is loud and people are losing their heads with one or two decisions, it’s important to stay calm on the pitch.”

One more clean sheet for Palmer and his teammates will see them break the club’s current clean sheet record of 17 in a single season, an achievement made all the more impressive by given the amount of shuffling of the pack that’s needed to be done.

Palmer has played in all put one of those clean sheets, but the players around him have switched regularly – and even the goalkeepers haven’t survived the changes.

Cameron Dawson has an incredible six clean sheets in his seven league matches, while David Stockdale kept 11 in 21 before him. ‘Palms’ insists that it’s a team effort, and as long as the ball keeps staying out he doesn’t mind what happens.

MORE: 'A battle' - Plymouth boss bemoans referee and 'setbacks' as Owls steal top spot

He went on to say, “It starts with the front, and goes right the way through – and we’ve had two goalies that have done equally as good. It’s brilliant to have them behind you as a defender.

“They’ll take plaudits, rightly so, and they can have their own battle for the Golden Glove if they like. It doesn’t bother me as long as they keep the ball out of the net… We want to keep doing things right, and take that on until the end of the season.”

Wednesday set their record of 17 clean sheets back in 1978/79, before equalling it in both their 2014/15 and 2015/16 campaigns. With 18 games to go, though, they could well hit a tally this season that will last for many, many years to come.

The Owls take on Fleetwood Town in the FA Cup tomorrow night before travelling to Ipswich Town at the weekend for what is another huge game at the top of the third tier table.

MORE: 'Need better' - Owls boss makes big demand despite going top of League One