Sheffield Wednesday: The small steps that may bring big leap forward for Owls

Sheffield Wednesday's goalscorer Lee Gregory and central defender Dominic Iorfa salute the home fans at the final whistle. Picture: Steve Ellis

“They’re good wins,” said Dominic Iorfa of Sheffield Wednesday’s 1-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers at Hillsborough.

Some are good wins because they are achieved with good football – days when everything clicks and fans are entertained. Others are good wins because the opposite is true. This one fell into the latter category.

When your season is struggling to get going – understandably after such an extensive summer rebuild – you have to take your enjoyment any way you can and the full-time cheers from the 23,692 were hearty and heartfelt.

“Everyone really appreciates it because they’ve put in a good shift,” explained Iorfa, not just celebrating three points but a first clean sheet in seven games.

Sheffield Wednesday's Dominic Iorfa battles with Bolton Wanderers' Michael Williams. Picture: Steve Ellis

It may not be where a club of Wednesday’s standing expects to be, but a point outside the League One play-offs is not the worst place to be finding your feet – so long as you do.

Iorfa is a proper centre-back and his meaty second-half tackles on Antoni Sarcevic and Bolton’s best player on the day, Oladapo Afolayan, were rare highlights.

The decisive moment came from Lee Gregory midway through the second half.

With the other two goals of his maiden Owls season back in August, Gregory is not a prolific goal-getter but his club is no longer in a position to have players of the quality of David Hirst, Mark Bright or Johnny Fantham leading the line. Despite being – whisper it quietly – a boyhood Blade, Gregory gives his all for the blue-and-white stripes and when his team-mates carved out two great chances for him, he put one away.