Sheffield Wednesday captain, Barry Bannan, has praised manager Darren Moore for his role in their dramatic League One play-off win on Thursday night. Wednesday were 4-0 down to Peterborough in the first leg but managed to overcome their League One rivals and reach the play-off final.
A last-minute equaliser by Liam Palmer at the end of full time forced the game into extra time.
Despite Peterborough making it 5-4 on aggregate, Wednesday, playing in front of the Hillsborough crowd, leveled the score to 5-5 on the night.
The match ultimately went to penalties, with Wednesday emerging as the victors. This victory made Wednesday the first team ever to overturn a 4-0 deficit in the play-offs.
However, the win was tarnished by a sour note. Manager Darren Moore was racially abused by supporters the previous week.
The club took swift action by condemning the "repulsive" abuse and banning the fan responsible from all future Wednesday fixtures and events.
🗣️ “I’m delighted for him (Darren Moore). Nobody deserves (the abuse) he’s received this week.”
🗣️ “I separated myself away from negativity. Even family and friends have been quite negative saying we can’t (do it).”
More from Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan… #SWFC pic.twitter.com/nzzg0rKzTF— Rob Staton (@robstaton) May 19, 2023
Bannan, who played a heroic role in Wednesday's triumph, commended his manager not only for his contribution to the remarkable comeback but also for his handling of the abuse he endured.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Bannan expressed his pride in Moore's ability to turn around the team's mindset and his resilience in the face of racism.
He emphasized that such behavior has no place in football, particularly towards a manager who has achieved significant success this week
"What he's done in the last week has been unbelievable, to turn around the mindset of the players, he had a massive job to do to try,"Bannan told Sky Sports.
"I'm so proud of him, the way that he's handled this week after the racism he's received as well - that shouldn't be anywhere near the football, never mind a manager who's won 96 points as well. That one's for him."
Now, Sheffield Wednesday awaits the outcome of the match between Barnsley and Bolton, which is scheduled for tonight at 8pm. The sides are currently tied at 1-1 in the game.
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