Alan Irvine is preparing for his first Steel City derby with the sole aim of securing three points for the Owls.

The Sheffield Wednesday manager is fully aware that pride will be centre stage at Hillsborough on Sunday (1pm kick-off) but is keen to stress that three Championship points are of paramount importance as his side battle to stave off relegation with three games to go.

"To Wednesday and Sheffield United fans this is the biggest game," Irvine said. "The points are massive and there is no way I am going to play that down. The fact is that we need three points and it's vitally important that we get them. In my opinion the points are much more important than the bragging rights.

"It's a fantastic occasion and if you're a footballer these are the games that you really want to play in. When you were a young lad you didn't dream of playing in games that were non-events, you dreamt of playing in big games; cup finals, derby matches, World Cups, all those kind of things so that's surely what you want to do as a professional.

"Nobody should be in any doubt as to what the game means to the fans and nobody should be in any doubt as to what the points will mean for us."

But the Hillsborough chief has also been keen to keep his players level-headed and prepare for the game properly.

"You can't let the fact that this match is a derby affect your work," Irvine said. "We have prepared for the game fully aware of what derby matches mean. Derby matches are massive no matter where you are. Every place I have ever been the people have told me the derby match is the biggest game and that's what it is but obviously on this occasion there is also the matter of three very important points.

"We need a lot of points between now and the end of the season, how many I don't know because I don't know what the other teams will do but we certainly need some wins. We've got our own jobs to do and I'm not too concerned what other teams will do because it is down to us to ensure we get the results required."

Irvine will be without Tommy Miller (calf) and Lewis Buxton is doubtful for Sunday but there are no new injury concerns for the manager. And despite two consecutive 1-0 defeats, the boss expects his team to go into Sunday's encounter with determination.

"Confidence hasn't taken too much of a battering despite losing the last two games because performances have been ok. Despite losing 1-0 we have had more than 40 attempts at goal in the last two games. Normally that would get you goals but it hasn't and the manner of defeat at Middlesbrough was one that we didn't deserve. The players know they're not too far away and if they keep on performing as they have done then things can turn around for us," Irvine said.

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