Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl said his side will keep working to close the gap after they claimed a vital 2-1 win over Bristol City at Hillsborough.
Two Ike Ugbo goals either side of a Jason Knight header gave the Owls another massively important three-point haul in their quest to stay in the Sky Bet Championship next season, despite Di’Shon Bernard being sent off in the second half.
Rohl said: “It was a very good performance from the team today. Bristol City are a strong team with a good manager but we focused more on ourselves in preparation for the game.
“Ike is an impact player. He has been really good for us since he joined; he is scoring goals and helping the team. He has worked really hard and we trust him.
“In the second half we had some big chances to finish the game but we didn’t quite get the final part right. We are creating a lot more chances.
“I think we are doing so much better compared to how we have played in the past. We are always in games and we know what we have to do.
“Bristol came more into the game and it became difficult for us after the red card but the boys dug in and defended well. We are getting really good at breaking the rhythm of our opponents.
“For me, this is a big step forward. It’s crunch time – we have 12 games to go and we will keep working every day; this is our job. Every match is an opportunity to close the gap.
“We are happy with the win but we have to keep on going. It’s another big game for us against Rotherham next Saturday.”
Bristol City boss Liam Manning said his side will have some regrets following the defeat.
Manning said: “I thought in the first 10 minutes we started well. We then faced some adversity and pressure and that’s when we have to step up and be counted.
“We engaged higher in the second half and I thought we were better. It was more an issue of quality rather than behaviour, which we lacked in the first half.
“This isn’t the first time we’ve lacked quality in the final third. That’s now two games in a row we’ve not been at the level we need to be.
“Before we even go into the tactical stuff we weren’t doing the basics right. The first goal can’t happen in the way it did.
“If you don’t dominate in the duels, you’re always going to be up against it. We’ve got to look at ourselves across the board.
“We have to drive a real high standard and we have to have that edge to us. The only way to improve is by learning and this group has a willingness to do so.
“We got control of the game in the second half but we showed a lack of care and detail in our execution. We didn’t step up as a collective and we have to use this as an experience to be more resilient.
“We have to be a little bit better than that overall. We’ll get back in on Monday and look at how we can correct it.”