Sheffield Wednesday boss Darren Moore was beaming with pride after his league leaders ground out a 1-0 win at old club Portsmouth.
Josh Windass’s 11th-minute goal was enough to extend Wednesday’s club record unbeaten run to 22 matches.
Moore said: “It is a good three points. Fratton Park is a difficult place to come but the players set their stall out.
“We scored an early goal from a real ruthless finish by Josh and then it was all about being resolute and doing our jobs.
“The boys needed to show character. This is a former stomping ground of mine so I know how tough it is to come here.
“It was a real together team performance that got us over the line.
“We were always fighting against the crowd, but the players did well from a mental point of view.
“We had to be strong and competitive and were. It is a well-earned win and I am really proud of my team.”
Windass finished emphatically from an acute angle after Michael Smith had nodded a long ball into his path.
The former Accrington man should have doubled his and Wednesday’s tally late on but he put a diving header wide from six yards.
The Owls had to play out the final 12 minutes with 10 men after defender Dominic Iorfa was sent off for a second yellow card after bringing down Connor Ogilvie.
Moore said: “I have no complaints about the second yellow card but the first one for time-wasting is debatable.
“In the 87th minute they should have had a player sent off for a tackle that was out of control.”
The defeat is Pompey’s first at home since New Year’s Day.
Head coach John Mousinho said: “We are disappointed and frustrated.
“We came off the pitch thinking we were the better side and showed more intent from the start.
“We just did not have quite enough quality to open them up and that was the difference because the one big chance that came their way, they took.
“It was really promising and there are loads of positives to take from it and also plenty to work on.
“They have got an excellent back three and numbers in front of that. That was one of the challenges because as soon as they scored they dropped deeper.
“You can see why they are top of the league and it was a really good lesson for us in terms of where we are, not far off but still with plenty of work to do.”
