Hard work reaps rewards - exclusive

Last updated : 21 November 2004 By Andy Parsons

A comfortable 2-0 victory against Hartlepool yesterday gave The Owls a vital win as they bounced back from last week’s disappointment at Swindon with style.

And despite Wednesday’s injury-hit squad, the players who Paul Sturrock picks seem to be doing a job by not only winning games, but by playing good football to boot.


Midfielder McMahon exclusively told Footymad: “We were really happy with the result and the performance, the boys have been working hard in training and it looks like it has paid off.”


Since Sturrock came in, he has played the youngster in every single game at some point and now his confidence is sky high.


He added: “Yeah, he seems to play me, even when we have injuries and a fully-fit team and hopefully I have done a good job for the boss and repaid his faith in me.”


On his own personal form and evident improvement, he adds: “I believe I have come on leaps and bounds this season. I have been working hard with the coaching staff, the old gaffer and the new manager and they are always encouraging me and telling me where I am going wrong and stressing to me what I need to improve upon.


“Over the last few months my fitness has dramatically improved and I am now able to maintain the high tempo the gaffer wants us to play for 90 minutes and now I automatically know in my head where the next pass is going to go, and the team are feeling that way too. I’m getting forward a lot more as well and hopefully I can grab a few more goals.


“The squad has improved also as before Paul came in we had too many individual players but now we are much more of a team.


“Even when we lose, Paul tells us to get our heads up for the next game and he always does that. He has given us a style of play and that maybe the difference from when Chris Turner was here.”


More from Lewis in the week as well as interviews with David Lucas, Paul Smith and captain Chris Marsden.