Ally McCoist issues confident Sheffield Wednesday prediction | OneFootball

Pundit Ally McCoist believes Sheffield Wednesday will stay in the Championship this season.

It has been a turbulent season for Wednesday in their first year back in the second tier, and they have spent much of the campaign in the relegation zone.

The Owls made their worst start to a season in their history, resulting in the sacking of Xisco Munoz in October, but performances and results have improved significantly under Danny Rohl.

Wednesday gave their survival hopes a huge boost with a 3-1 win over fellow strugglers Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Sunday, which extended their unbeaten run to four games.

The Owls went ahead in the sixth minute through Josh Windass' stunning strike, but their lead did not last long, with Sammie Szmodics equalising for Rovers just three minutes later.

Wednesday restored their advantage in the second half when Marvin Johnson slotted home from close range, and Aynsley Pears' remarkable own goal sealed all three points.

The victory saw the Owls move out of the relegation zone for the first time since August, and they currently sit 21st in the table, one point clear of Birmingham City and three points clear of Huddersfield Town.

Wednesday are back in action when they take on fifth-placed West Bromwich Albion at a sold-out Hillsborough on Saturday, and with Huddersfield and Birmingham facing each other, it could be a crucial afternoon in the relegation battle.

McCoist: Sheffield Wednesday will stay in the Championship

McCoist praised Rohl for the outstanding job he has done at Hillsborough, and despite Wednesday having tough fixtures against West Brom and Sunderland in their final two games, he believes they will stay in the division.

"What a story that is at Sheffield Wednesday!" McCoist said.

"I think I speak on behalf of a lot of football fans when I say I didn’t know much about Danny Rohl, but he’s absolutely transformed the club.

"He’s instilled some belief into the Sheffield Wednesday players. "The one thing they have in their favour now is momentum, they’re unbeaten in four with a brilliant win against Blackburn, not only are they picking up points but they’re picking up points against teams who are trying to suck them back into the bottom three. "If I was a betting man, I’d fancy them to stay up!

"They’ve got West Brom at home and Sunderland away which aren’t easy fixtures, but when they’re must win games, they can find enough to get over the line and stay up."

It was an excellent performance from Wednesday against Blackburn on Sunday, and the victory ensures their destiny remains in their own hands.

The Owls are out of the relegation zone for the first time since August, and it will be intriguing to see how they handle the pressure of being above the dotted line, but they now have a great chance to secure survival.

McCoist is right that Rohl has done an incredible job at Hillsborough, particularly considering that Wednesday had just three points on the board when he arrived in October, but he will be determined to complete the job and keep his side in the division.

The Owls face two difficult fixtures against West Brom and Sunderland, but they will be full of confidence after four games unbeaten, and with Huddersfield and Birmingham facing each other, they can take a huge step towards safety with a win on Saturday.