Coventry City head coach Frank Lampard admitted he could not begrudge Henrik Pedersen of a small celebration following Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 draw at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Wednesday held the Championship table-toppers to a surprise stalemate in the West Midlands, meaning the Sky Blues missed out on the opportunity to officially seal promotion to the Premier League.
Lampard’s side would have sealed their place back in the top flight had they beaten Wednesday after Millwall drew 0-0 with West Bromwich Albion on Friday night and Middlesbrough were beaten 1-0 by Portsmouth on Saturday afternoon.
Although their superior goal difference has all but sealed promotion, the champagne must remain on ice until next Friday at the earliest.
But to Wednesday’s credit, a point was the least they deserved after producing a very spirited and determined performance earned them just a fourth clean sheet of the season.
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And in the opinion of Lampard, Pedersen deserves immense credit for the job he has done this season, admitting he deserved the opportunity to celebrate with his coaching staff and players at full-time after earning an unlikely point.
Asked what he has made of the job Pedersen has done, Lampard told The Star: “Yes, really good. Really good because he's dealt with things that are human things as well as football things around a club, which is a fantastic football club.
“I understand the pressures of that and the demands of it. He's kept trying to play and act with a really positive attitude.”
On Pedersen’s celebratory jump and fist pumps at the end, Lampard, with a smile on his face, continued: “He celebrated a draw today. Normally I would kind of go, ‘All right’, but with him, he can definitely celebrate a draw because they're working really hard against a lot of odds.
“I know how hard this job is for anyone, so I respect exactly what he's done. Fair play to him, I wish him well for what he's done this year. I think he should take a lot of personal credit.”
Sheffield Wednesday were good value for the point they earned at the CBS Arena.placeholder image
Sheffield Wednesday were good value for the point they earned at the CBS Arena. | Getty Images
Coventry thrashed Wednesday 5-0 at Hillsborough back in October - a day that will be remembered for some Owls supporters storming the pitch in protest against former owner Dejphon Chansiri.
Coventry have experienced pain and uncertainty themselves in recent years, falling as far as League Two and having to play away from their stadium, meaning Lampard is confident Wednesday will bounce back after a season of such disappointment.
He added: “Sheffield Wednesday, like us, have an incredible fan base and a history. So I believe they will come back round, but I'm sure there are some tough moments to come within that.
“It feels like a step forward from the atmosphere that we had at Hillsborough earlier in the season because of that moment that it was. Hopefully they're past that moment and there's much more positive moments for them as a football club.”
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