Darren Moore has revealed that a St James' Park scouting mission helped his Sheffield Wednesday side upset Newcastle United in the FA Cup.
The League One high-flyers have made it into the fourth round of the competition after springing an almighty shock following a 2-1 victory against Newcastle at Hillsborough on Saturday night. Newcastle may have had 75% possession, 22 shots and 11 corners, but the wasteful Magpies only had themselves to blame after two goals from Josh Windass put Wednesday in control midway through the second half.
Bruno Guimaraes pulled one back for Newcastle in the 69th minute, but the visitors never truly looked like equalising against a brave Wednesday side, who certainly did not lack belief. That should not come as a surprise; Wednesday had worked on 'engaging' Newcastle high up the pitch because Moore feared if the Owls sat back for 90 minutes, they would eventually get 'picked off'.
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The Wednesday boss settled on that game plan after personally watching Newcastle's goalless draw against Leeds United at St James' a week previously.
"I wanted to be able to go up there and get used to the speed of play again and get my own eye into it, really," he told reporters. "What I got from the game against Leeds was the decision, the detail, how they move the ball, the shape.
"You're able to come back with a game plan. You're able to mentally install into the players what you have seen and try and use the experience as much as you possibly can to set up.
"That's where I thought, 'We can't just sit back against these. We have to get amongst them and we have to try and disrupt their patterns and not let them get a foothold in the game.' We did that. We got up to the ball very well and, ultimately, grew into the game and scored two wonderful goals."
Moore added that opposite number Eddie Howe told him 'well done' at full-time before the Newcastle boss wished the Owls 'all the best for the fourth round'.
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