Turner chuffed with team spirit

The Owls beat a disappointing Brighton 2-1 at Hillsborough thanks to Robbie Mustoe’s first goal for the club, which came in stoppage time.

Wednesday deserved their victory and played some good football at times, and it is not often that can be said this season.

But Turner was beaming about Chris Brunt’s stunning free kick, which must go down as one of the most spectacular set-piece goals in the last few years at Hillsborough.

Brunt, recently signed from Middlesbrough with a view to a longer contract, impressed throughout and his spectacular curling left-foot drive capped off an excellent full debut.

The Owls boss said: “We have seen him over a short period of time and he’s scored great goals in our reserves, he has a sweet left foot and great potential, and that’s the first time proper has played as an old-fashioned winger.

“We have had a few days to work on him this week and from a coaching point of view, you ask players to try and do things and get used to a different system and some players can’t handle it, against Brighton though, Chris showed he could handle it.”

In a week where all the talk has been mainly focussed off the field rather than on it, Turner believes that he has the full backing of the players despite not having 100 per cent support of potential investor Ken Bates.

He added: “I never thought that the players were not behind Colin and I, we get a good response from training Monday to Friday, and they are a good bunch of lads and work very hard.

“They get just as frustrated as us with how things have gone this season and they know who the key players of the team are, and if those players are missing because of injuries, it does affect every individual.”

There was a scuffle between Leon Knight and Lewis McMahon as the players were walking down the tunnel and the former Owl had to be restrained, although Turner was dignified and left his long-running battle with Albion’s dwarf-like hotshot to one side.