Tommy's Rocket

He only scores great goals, doesn't he? A 25 yard screamer from Tommy Spurr was the sparkling highlight of the Owls FA Cup exit to Premiership Fulham.

Two Andy Johnson goals put Wednesday out of the competition, but considering the Owls bench had room for a nanny and the starting eleven selected itself due to the injury crisis and loan departures, both Spurr and captain Richard Wood could take positives from the game.

Tommy clearly enjoyed his goal: 'The lads did very well against a Premiership side and personally speaking, that goal was the best of my career. The goal I scored last season against Plymouth was more important but this one was better, particularly as it was from a ball on the floor, I normally get more on them on the volley.'

Love that 'normally'. Goals like that might not come along every week, but Master Spurr is getting a bit of a reputation for putting them away.

On the game itself, he went on to say: 'It was probably the most tiring game I've played but it was enjoyable as well playing against the likes of Johnson, Zamora and Dempsey. These are the kind of players you see on the television every week so it was good to see them in the flesh. I thought we did well bearing in mind there were ten players in the 16 from the academy. The gaffer told us before the game to go out there, enjoy it and express ourselves and that's what we did. I thought we deserved a replay. They came as favourites but we gave them a real test so hopefully we can take the confidence from that into our game at Ipswich on Saturday.'

Captain Wood echoed those thoughts, and had a word for the youngsters: 'We created a lot of chances and we maybe could have got a draw but we are happy with our performance and the lads did very well. I think we had tired legs and tired minds and with their Premiership quality they came good. But this was a welcome break from the league and I hope we can take our performance into the league and go from there.

'I thought Luke Boden did very well on the left wing and we need these players because we haven't got a very big squad and we've been struggling. The lads that came off the bench did very well which is pleasing for the club and reflects really well on our youth system.'

Manager Brian Laws stated the obvious: 'We are left to concentrate on the League and we have a paper thin squad,' he said. 'It is an important month and we have got some big games coming up.

'I certainly don't want to be looking over my shoulder that is for sure. I tasted that last year and it's not pleasant. I want to be looking up not down.'

He will be hoping to convince West Brom to allow Bartosz Slusarski to return, and that Leon Clarke, Steve Watson and Marcus Tudgay can be restored to the squad for the tricky trip to Ipswich on Saturday.

(Quotes from the official site)

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