Darren Moore delighted as fast start earns Sheffield Wednesday win over MK Dons

Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore was delighted to see his team’s fast start lead to a vital 3-2 victory over MK Dons that put them back into the League One play-off places.

The Owls held on after going 3-0 up after half an hour at Stadium MK to move up to fifth in the table and prevent the Dons moving back into the automatic promotion places by ending their 15-match unbeaten run.

Moore said: “We needed to start quickly here and we didn’t really want them to settle into their rhythm, so to be 3-0 up after 30 minutes was excellent.

“It was great to see two of our goals come from set-plays and, obviously, the third one was a great goal executed by Baz [Barry Bannan].

“I thought the game in general was a great game of football and a wonderful advert for both teams who were at it from the word go, really.

“It had a bit of everything, the game did, today, and I’m just pleased we’ve come out with the three points.

“I thought we played through them with some real quality and then in the second half, we had to give them not much room to operate in, and anything they had to do, they had to force it.”

Wednesday led 2-0 after 20 minutes when Saido Berahino’s shot went through MK Dons goalkeeper Jamie Cumming’s grasp before Lee Gregory forced in Bannan’s corner.

Bannan then added a third for the Owls in sensational fashion by lobbing Cumming from 35 yards after Dean Lewington had headed the ball into his path.

The Dons pulled one back before half-time through Troy Parrott’s dinked finish, but could not force a second until five minutes into stoppage time when Scott Twine fired in a terrific free-kick.

MK Dons boss Liam Manning bemoaned his side’s poor start.

He said: “The first 20 minutes were a little unlike us.

“We’ve been so hard to beat, and I’ve said to the guys afterwards so much of our work is based on having a good structure, being able to be in good positions, [pick up] second balls and playing disciplined in our mid and back third.

“It shows, when you play against good, experienced players, if you get the margins wrong, you end up like we did – 3-0 down – and then you’re chasing the game.

“What we saw second half was spirit, character, never-say-die, which sums the lads up because we know they’ll fight right to the end.

“I’m not going to stand here and criticise anybody – they’ve been unbelievable, they’ve been terrific.

“You’re going to have moments like we had tonight and the bit I chirp on about all the time is around keeping emotionally stable and not getting too frustrated.”