REACH FOR THE STARS
Two-goal Adam says that, with Bruce in charge, there are no limits for Wednesday
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 3 Reach 11, 32 Fletcher 42 SWANSEA 1 McBurnie 69 ADAM REACH says Steve Bruce’s personal touch has been key to Sheffield Wednesday’s transformation.
Reach scored twice – with Steven Fletcher ( right) getting the third – as Bruce enjoyed his first home win as Owls boss.
Victory extended Wednesday’s unbeaten n league run under Bruce to five games – and six overall l – and they are unrecognisable - from the disjointed side e under Jos Luhukay.
Reach explained the Bruce e effect, saying: “He has had his success at different clubs because he is a fantastic man-manager. He knows how to get the best out of every player.
“He has really got us going back to basics: run hard, fight, work as hard as you can and, when you do that collectively, the quality should come through in the end.
“He’s distilled a new life and a new energy, and got everyone believing how good we are again. I think you can see that with the football we are playing at times, and he has got that feel- good factor back.”
Wednesday moved to 15th, nine points off the play-offs, with Reach (scoring the Owls’ first goal, above) not ruling out a top-six push.
“We are all playing it down but you can’t avoid the league table,” he said. “We are in the mindset that you take each game as it comes and win that. Then you move on, and we are doing that at the minute.
“We are in a no-lose situation – we are nowhere near the playoffs, no one is expecting anything.”
Wednesday host Brentford tomorrow, before high- flying neighbours United visit in a crucial Sheffield derby next Monday. Reach added: “United are right up there, but the squad we have, and the way we are playing at the minute, we shouldn’t fear anyone.
“Of course, there is an extra little spice, with it being the derby, and I think all the Wednesday fans will be hoping we can dent U United’s promotion push. “It will be a tough game on Tu Tuesday and, if we can come th through it, we can enjoy the b build-up to the derby.” Swansea were dominated b by Wednesday in the first h half before pulling one back th through Oli McBurnie. Wayne Routledge called o on the Swans to get back on t track against Bolton on S Saturday.
“This is not an easy place t to come and it’s new to a lot o of the boys,” he said. “But we n need a better performance and result next week.”
SHEFF WED: Westwood 7, Palmer 6, Lees 6, Hector 7, Lazaar 7, Hutchinson 6, Reach 8, Bannan 7, Aarons 7 (Matias 64, 6), Joao 6 (Iorfa 58, 6), Fletcher 7 (Pelupessy 88)
SWANSEA: Nordfeldt 6, Roberts 6 (McKay 87), Carter-Vickers 5, Van der Hoorn 5, John 5 (Routledge 45, 6), Naughton 5 (Baker-Richardson 78), Grimes 5, James 6, Byers 5, Celina 6, McBurnie 6
MOTM ADAM REACH (SHEFF WED)