Barry Bannan delivers honest Sheffield Wednesday play-off claim ahead of Crewe Alexandra visit

Sheffield Wednesday will only have themselves to blame if they fail to finish in the League One play-offs, according to Barry Bannan. A seven-match unbeaten run has boosted the Owls' hopes of extending their campaign into May.

Momentum is on Wednesday's side heading into the final four matches of the regular league season but Bannan is adamant they must keep their good run of form going. Darren Moore's troops entertain bottom-of-the-table Crewe Alexandra this evening.

Bannan told Yorkshire Live: “There’s still a lot of work to be done. It’s tight...I think we’ve got a game in hand on someone above us so we could move up if we win that game in hand. But we need to just take each game as it comes now. That’s what we’re focusing on now.

Sheffield Wednesday breakthrough player has clear agenda to win over Owls faithful

“We were caught maybe halfway through the season looking too far ahead, and now we just want to win every game as it comes. The Crewe game is going to be tough so we’ll now be concentrating on that.

“It’s in our hands now to finish where we want to finish - if we fall out of it now then it’s our own fault. But we are quietly confident because we have got a great squad and team spirit at the moment."

Wednesday will fancy their chances of picking up three more points against the already-relegated Railwaymen. Crewe have been poor on the road all season and the Owls have won nine of their previous 11 home matches.

Nonetheless, Bannan has warned his team-mates not to underestimate the league's bottom club. “They’re playing with freedom," said Bannan. "They’ll come to Hillsborough and look forward to it and enjoy it.

“It’ll be just as tough as MK Dons. We just need to do the right things and get prepared for it.