Sheffield Wednesday boss Darren Moore says team conceding 'self-inflicted' goals

Sheffield Wednesday striker Michael Smith reacts after his side miss a late chance to win at Cheltenham on Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday boss Darren Moore says his team are being punished for "lapses in concentration" after their 2-2 draw at Cheltenham on Wednesday.

The second-placed Owls, who are now winless in their past four League One matches, had to battle back from two goals down to claim a point.

"It's disappointing because the goals we are conceding are self-inflicted," Moore told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"We know if we can keep clean sheets that we can get goals."

He added: "In the past four games all of the goals we've let in apart from maybe one have been from basic, elementary lapses in concentration."

Wednesday had been on a club record 23-match unbeaten run before falling to a 4-2 defeat at South Yorkshire rivals Barnsley last Tuesday, and then slipped to a shock 1-0 reverse at bottom side Forest Green on Sunday.

Moore said he was pleased with the "fighting spirit" his side showed to take something from the visit to Cheltenham.

"We wanted the right response from Sunday because that was unacceptable," he said.

"Once we got the equaliser with about seven or eight minutes to play I thought we'd get a chance to win the game and we had three, but just couldn't take it.

"From the position we were in it is a point won and the character that the players showed was excellent. That's the fighting spirit we expect at Sheffield Wednesday."

'They thought I was going to retire on the spot'

Wednesday goalkeeper David Stockdale said he gave a speech in the dressing room after the game, calling on his team-mates to finish the promotion job.

The 37-year-old veteran was recalled to the starting XI for the first time in the league since 10 December for the game in Gloucestershire.

The Owls are four points clear of third-placed Ipswich but have played a game more than the Tractor Boys, who are on a run of six successive wins.

"I've been in this situation before and people might think 'oh there's only eight games left' but it's a long way away. Each game is important in terms of how you react and deal with things, because it's not just us it's other teams, but we have to concentrate on ourselves," he told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"I said tonight after the game that this might be my last year and we need to get our heads together and finish what we set out to do.

"I think some of the players were a bit gobsmacked and thought I was going to retire right there and then."