Assistant Manager Dave Kemp has leapt to the defence of youngster Ryan Shawcross following a challenge that nearly broke Sheffield Wednesday striker Francis Jeffers' ankle on Saturday afternoon.

"It wasn't a malicious challenge," insisted Dave.

"To be fair to Jeffers and Tudgay, they were playing well at the time.

"It was a new experience for Ryan and he was getting a little bit frustrated and chased a ball down that he thought he could get.

"He caught him but there was no malicious intent there, it was just one of those unfortunate football injuries."

Jeffers was stretchered off after 34 minutes and it was first thought that the ankle was broken, but Kemp believes challenges are part and parcel of the game.

"I'm sure you watch football at the weekend, like I do, and we saw far worse challenges go unpunished.

"If he plays football for long enough there'll be more of those and maybe he will be on the wrong end of one, that's just the game.

"But it was just a genuine attempt to get the ball and these things happen unfortunately."