Sheffield Wednesday manager Stuart Gray has admitted that he was surprised by Middlesbrough's new tactics and said that they played into his side's hands during today's Championship match.

The Owls beat second-placed Boro 2-0, scoring more than once at Hillsborough for just the second time in the league this season.

Gray's opposite number Aitor Karanka made five changes to the side that played Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday and altered his formation to a 3-5-2 set-up.

"It threw me a bit but I knew it would allow me to get my full backs into the game more," The Gazette quotes Gray as saying.

"They are a good side and they'll be up there when promotion is happening at the end of the season, but we closed them down and forced errors out of them.

"We put them outside of their comfort zone , pressed them high up the pitch, forced errors and won second balls that allowed us to be more creative."

Wednesday are up to 10th in the table, 13 points behind the playoff places.