Town boss Kieran McKenna says he always knew today’s game at table-propping Sheffield Wednesday would be tricky if his side didn’t score an early goal, the Blues eventually netting twice late on to claim a 2-0 victory.

Ivan Azon and Jack Clarke, netting his fifth penalty of the campaign, were on target on 78 and 83 to claim three points which took Town back up to third in the table, none of the other sides in the top five having recorded a win.

The Blues are now two points behind second-placed Middlesbrough and nine from leaders Coventry and in front of Millwall, who are down to fourth, on goal difference with a game in hand on all three.

McKenna admitted that the win was the most important thing with the Blues having laboured against the Owls, whose relegation to League One has been confirmed following a nightmare season in which they have faced administration and points deductions.

“It was,” the Blues manager reflected. “It’s our seventh game in 21 days. It’s been a long week, a long couple of weeks and getting the result was really important.

“We knew that the game today could go in a few different ways. Of course, wanted to get the early goal and have the confidence of a lead to go and play our football, but we didn’t manage to do that, we had some chances early in the game that we didn’t take.

“And then we know how games like this can be. As it goes on, if you haven’t scored, the opponent has something to hang onto and the crowd were good, stayed with them, they got some set plays and the game can feel really, really tricky and awkward if you don’t have the goal.

“We knew that could be the case and if that was the case the most important thing was to not give anything away, not make any big mistakes, concede a penalty or allow them to score from a set play, anything like that.

“It was important to stay disciplined and calm and give ourselves 95 minutes to win the game. Whether that was the boys on the pitch or the subs coming on, we knew that we could score the goals late.

“And we generally did that, we had a big chance before the goal and then we took the first goal and from there were really comfortable.

“It was a really tricky game if we didn’t get a goal early on, it was always going to be an awkward game. Credit to them for the way they stuck at it but I think we deserved the win and we got it later in the game.”

It was Azon who failed to the big chance and McKenna was pleased with the way the Spaniard put that miss behind him to score only three minutes later.

“It’s exactly the attitude you need in a striker because it’s always more important to be there getting [opportunities]. Really good movement, a really good move from us for his first chance and a great first touch but he doesn’t take it.

“Easy to drop your head at that point but he does exactly he needs to, which is to be there in the right position in the next moment making an aggressive run and a really good finish after a great cross from Ben [Johnson].”

Regarding the penalty awarded for a foul on Clarke by Sean Fusire, McKenna felt referee Tom Reeves got it right, the Blues having had more than fair share of incorrect penalty decisions one way or the other over the last week.

“Unless somebody tells me different, it looked clear,” he said. “I didn’t even think it was debatable, I thought it was a clear penalty.”

One negative was Wes Burns leaving the field in the second half with an injury McKenna confirmed to be a calf issue with the extent of the problem to be determined once the winger has undergone a scan early in the week.

Better news was Jaden Philogene returning as a late sub having been out since mid-January with an MCL injury.

“It was good,” McKenna continued. “Good to have him with the group, good to have him out there and pick up a few minutes and a training week now next week.

“We’ve got some great options in our frontline, but you’re always going to miss someone of Jaden’s qualities and what he gives you off the ball as well, so good to have him back.”

McKenna started Azor Matusiwa, Darnell Furlong and Anis Mehmeti, despite the trio being on nine yellow cards with a 10th leading to a ban. The trio came through without cautions with 15 cards now leading to a suspension.

The Blues boss was asked whether that was out of respect to Wednesday.

“Partly that and I think you have to be really careful with the messages you give to your own group,” he continued.

“Azor and Darnell, for example, have been managing themselves well on nine bookings for quite a long time, so to leave them out of this one would have sent completely the wrong message and I trust those boys as professionals to manage themselves right. It’s good that they all came through it.”

McKenna was pleased that the other sides in the top five - Coventry, Middlesbrough, Millwall, who visit Portman Road next Saturday, and Hull City - all dropped points.

“It wasn’t our focus,” the Town manager insisted. “I know that some of the teams were playing earlier but our focus was just on our game, and the same after the game.

“Of course, that makes it a little bit better, but still isn’t the main thing. The main thing is that we got the result today. The main thing is that we’ve come through a really, really busy spell now and showed some good things and some areas where we’re still trying to grow as a group.

“But we have a few days now to prepare and rest and recover and get ready for the next game.

“That’s really important and we know where we’re at. There are nine games left, they’re all going to be hard. There are no easy games, especially at this stage of the season and we’ve just got to go for each one and see what we can do.”

Quizzed on the Owls and their rebuilding job in League One next season, McKenna says having a plan and putting in place an infrastructure has to be a part of it.

“I think it’s really important,” the Northern Irishman reflected. “I think this is my fifth or sixth game here. When I took over, Sheffield Wednesday were perceived to be well ahead of us at that point in League One, just missed out in the play-offs that year, then went again.

“I think it’s really important and I really wish well for this club and for Henrik and their supporters and hopefully it can go in a positive direction.

“For me, I can only speak of our approach in League One, and it wasn’t just to talk about promotion all the time. It was about building infrastructure, building culture, building a playing style or an identity, and I think those are the things that can carry you through.

“I know the guys here are planning some of the same things and Henrik’s asked me some questions. It’s been a bad year for them but hopefully they can get on the right track now and they can start their journey and climb back up because it’s obviously a historic and great club.

“I think Henrik’s a good guy and he’s asked me before the last game and before this one, and I think we’re going to catch up in the international break.

“He’s hopefully now going to be looking at starting the journey with this club and trying to rebuild it and there will be some differences for sure, but there will be some similarities to what Ipswich have done over the last few years. I’ll share any of our lessons, positive or negative that I can with him.”

Photo: TWTD