Sheffield Wednesday star urges Owls to stick together

Diaspointment for Owls' Adam Reach with injury time equaliser from Bolton.....Pic Steve Ellis

Some boos greeted the final whistle after Saturday’s 1-1 Hillsborough draw with fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers. Aaron Wilbraham’s header in added on time cancelled out George Boyd’s 78th minute opener.

The result stretched Wednesday’s winless Championship run to six matches, leaving them in 17th position and eight points above the drop zone with nine fixtures remaining.

Reach told The Star: “We just need to win. You can’t say we can just start playing quality football, it’s not that easy.

“We have got to grind things out, if we had won (on Saturday) the gap would have been 10 points and there would have been a bit more confidence.

“There’s not much we can do, we are trying our best, but it’s not coming off.

“By the time Leeds game comes around we might have one or two more players available, which always helps.

“What is going to get us over the line is team spirit and sticking together.

“We just need to stay up. It’s about being realistic, we can’t reach the play-offs. So let’s try and stay in the division and look to end the season with a bit of confidence to take into next season.”

The Owls, last season’s play-off semi-finalists, have won just once in the league this calendar year.

“The players are responsible when we step over that white line,” stressed Reach. “But I think it’s everyone, from the very top down to the very bottom.

“It’s not a blame game. I just think everyone at the club needs to take a look at themselves and improve, put it right for next season.

“Ultimately, a club like Sheffield Wednesday should not be where we are. It should be achieving what we have been doing for the previous two years.

“I am sure we will get back to that next season.”

Next up is a trip to 13th-placed Leeds United this Saturday.

Reach said: “For the first time in a long time, we have a full midweek to work on things and get ready for Leeds.

“It will help us and the coaching staff. They haven’t had time to work on things at the training ground.

“For the last six weeks we haven’t really done much training. It’s been about recovery, and then getting ready for the next game.

“We need to work hard in training, and help the players who are coming back some time on the training ground before Saturday.”