Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore believes Michael Duff has done a “magnificent job” at League One play-off final opponents Barnsley.
Both managers meet on Monday for the all-South Yorkshire clash at Wembley, where the winners will celebrate promotion to the Championship.
Wednesday progressed to the final after staging a thrilling second-leg comeback against Peterborough, overturning a 4-0 aggregate deficit, while Barnsley earned their place in less dramatic circumstances by squeezing past Bolton 2-1 after two legs.
Moore was full of praise for the job Duff has done.
“I’ve known Duffers a little while now over the course of our footballing careers and now into management at the level that we are,” Moore told a pre-match press conference.
“Am I surprised with the work he’s done at Barnsley? No.
“Why am I not surprised? Because he’s thorough, he’s meticulous with his work, he’s a worker, he sees the game, he understands the game and he’s very astute with his approach in the game in terms of how he sets his team up and understanding the strengths and weaknesses that his team has.
“So if you embody that with where he’s at, it shows the level of consistency, he’s got wonderful leadership qualities, he’s clear and methodical with his approach and he’s clear with his views.
“He’s done a magnificent job to go in there and steady the ship and not only steady the ship, but give the whole place belief in a continuation.
“Credit to him and the work he’s done this season, it really has been a tremendous bit of work.
“As managers we can appreciate the work that we’ve done over the course of the season and I’ve got to say to him he’s done a magnificent job, but he knows it because I told him myself after we played them.
“Credit to him, we go head-to-head again at Wembley on Monday and our two teams will battle it out to try and get that final spot that’ll take the team into the Championship.”
Wednesday finished the season third in League One with 96 points, while Barnsley secured a fourth-placed finish 10 points behind them.
Duff suggested in his press conference that the Tykes are going into the clash as underdogs, but Moore insisted Monday’s game has no favourites.
“He’s going to see it as that, but I’m too grey to suggest that,” the Owls boss added.
“What we have got is a final, we’ve got two teams competing in the final, two teams from Yorkshire, two local teams that see and know enough about each other.
“What we will do is focus on the game. Will I predict anybody as the favourite? No because there never are in a final.
“So I can blow that one out the water and say let’s just focus on the game.
“We approach the game as we have done all season with detail, with precision, with respect and we look to get about our work in the right manner.”
England make winning start in Women’s Nations League after tough Scottish test
England got their Nations League campaign off to a winning start with a 2-1 win against Scotland at the Stadium of Light.
Just over a month after their World Cup final defeat to Spain, the Lionesses earned an inaugural win in the competition after going ahead through former Black Cat Lucy Bronze.
Lauren Hemp doubled the lead before Scotland pulled one back just before the break through Kirsty Hanson and the visitors had plenty of good opportunities to level in the second half but were unable to capitalise on their chances.
Prior to kick-off both teams paid their respects to Sheffield United’s Maddy Cusack, who has died aged 27, and a period of silence was observed around the stadium.
England were on the front foot straight from kick-off and Georgia Stanway had the first real attempt of the game 10 minutes in when her header went just wide.
Lauren James then launched into an excellent mazy run across the Scottish half and threaded the ball to Rachel Daly, whose low effort was comfortably saved by Lee Gibson.
The Lionesses kept possession well but struggled to find the breakthrough as Stanway tried one of her trademark long-distance efforts from outside the box with Gibson saving.
However, the visitors took their chances where they could as Caroline Weir had a powerful effort from inside the box well saved by Mary Earps.
England thought they had broken the deadlock in the 25th minute through Daly’s flicked header from a corner, but the celebrations were quickly cut short when the goal was ruled out for offside against Chloe Kelly in the build-up.
Pouncing on a missed opportunity, Scotland were suddenly on the attack as Hanson made a great run down the left flank but Martha Thomas was unable to stab the ball home, before the Tottenham striker’s curling effort was held by Earps.
Former Sunderland defender Bronze opened the scoring for the Lionesses after a great cross from Katie Zelem picked out the right-back, who made a perfectly timed run to head home.
They doubled the lead in the 45th minute after Daly picked out Hemp on the left for the Manchester City winger to head into the top corner.
Scotland pulled one back with the last kick of the half as England failed to clear their lines in the box and Hanson was able to poke a low cross into the bottom corner.
A closely contested start to the second half saw James’ curling effort whistle over the top corner before Kelly hit a brilliant low cross into the box for Daly, who was unable to get her feet sorted in time.
Scotland threatened again as Earps was equal to Thomas’ header and the visitors looked the brighter of the two teams, but England were able to shut down the threat quickly.
Scotland had another great chance to level as Earps made a fantastic punch to clear Rachel McLauchlan’s attempted cross and Hanson smashed the rebound off the crossbar.
The visitors threatened again with six minutes to go as Lisa Evans picked out Christy Grimshaw on the edge of the box but her low effort was held by Earps.
James broke forward in added to head home after Gibson’s initial save, but the goal was ruled out for offside and Fiona Brown had the final effort of the game saved by Earps.
Logan Chalmers at the double as Ayr hit five past Queen’s Park
Logan Chalmers hit an early brace as Ayr secured an impressive 5-2 win away at Queen’s Park in the cinch Championship.
Last season’s runners-up have been slow out of the blocks this season but stormed past their hosts at Hampden Park.
Chalmers broke the deadlock after just six minutes as he scored directly from a corner and doubled up for the night by rounding off a counter-attack.
Ruan Paton halved the deficit, but Ayr were out of sight by the break after Ahkeem Rose and Jamie Murphy struck.
The hosts pulled another back through Barry Hepburn, although any thoughts of an unlikely comeback were extinguished a minute later when Anton Dowds grabbed his first goal for the Honest Men.
England and Scotland players pay tribute to Sheffield United’s Maddy Cusack
England and Scotland players paid tribute to Sheffield United’s Maddy Cusack, who has died aged 27, during their Women’s Nations League match on Friday night.
The midfielder, named the club’s vice-captain last month, had just started her sixth season with the Blades in the Women’s Championship and was the longest-serving player in their squad.
Both England and Scotland wore black armbands and a period of silence was impeccably observed prior to kick-off at the Stadium of Light.
Sheffield United’s men’s manager Paul Heckingbottom earlier said the club was “suffering” following Cusack’s death.
The Blades intend to pay tribute to Cusack, who also worked in the club’s marketing department, during Sunday’s Premier League clash with Newcastle.
Heckingbottom said: “First and foremost everyone’s thoughts are with Maddy’s friends and family, a lot of Maddy’s friends work at this football club.
“Maddy, especially in my time here, has been a big part of everything, a senior figure among the women’s team and the media team as well.
“Everyone would see her about all the time. It’s tough and we need to make sure everyone is OK at the club and we all support each other because it is sad, sad news.
“(Chief executive) Steve Betts called me yesterday and it knocked me back a bit, I’ll admit. As much as we are preparing for a huge, huge game and wanting to get on with everything, it has affected a lot of people.
“Maddy has been to so many people in the club, there are a lot of people suffering and feeling it, without a doubt.
“We look after everyone here, but first and foremost we are thinking of Maddy’s family. And we send them our best.”
Cusack’s picture will appear on the front of the club programme and players will wear black armbands, while discussions are ongoing over other possible tributes.
“There are plans and discussions going off for a tribute, we want to be very respectful to Maddy’s family as well and make sure they are heavily involved and understand what we want to do,” Heckingbottom added.
“As much as we want to show our respect and thoughts and how we are feeling we want to make sure her family lead on it.”
The Football Association is also in contact with the Blades over an appropriate tribute.
Billy Sharp, the former captain of United’s men’s team, paid his own tribute to Cusack on social media.
“Such a lovely girl. Enjoyed some amazing times with Maddy and the Blades. Such a sad loss. RIP Maddy,” he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out also said it was “deeply saddened” by the news of her death.
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