‘The spirit, the culture’ – Proud Sheffield Wednesday boss delighted after victory

The Owls were left battered at bruised at Deepdale as the dug deep against Ryan Lowe's side, and ultimately they came out on top as Marvin Johnson's goal proved to be enough to secure their first victory there since December 2011.

Wednesday had to hold onto their lead for a long time after Johnson's strike in the first half, and also had to do so having lost two players - Akin Famewo and Will Vaulks - to injury, and then George Byers to a red card. Despite all of that, though, they held firm, and their manager was delighted with how they stuck to their task.

“It was a tough, tough game,” Röhl said afterwards. “We expected it to be. It was about the second balls and a lot of action around the boxes with crosses. It was a big topic in the last two days about defending these situations.

"Today we did well as a team, and to come here on a Friday night against a tough opponent, it was a great performance. It was maybe not our best in terms of possession and those things, but I spoke in our meeting about fighting, doing the basics, winning the duels, and being closer in duels. We really fought.

"We knew that they would be dangerous in the right places because they have good players, but it was fantastic from my team. In the end when you see the spirit, and the culture we have, it’s really fantastic. We can be proud."

The win didn't change their league position, however it did mean that they finished 2023 on a high as they prepare for the start of a new calendar year, and also saw them cut the gap on fourth-bottom Huddersfield Town to six points after their defeat to Middlesbrough.

Wednesday now turn their attentions to Hull City on New Year's Day as they return to Hillsborough, and Röhl will be eager to assess his team in the coming days as he hopes to have some better news on the injury front after a spell that has seen him watch a large number of key players forced off the field prematurely.