Owls boss Brian Laws could not ask for bigger incentives as the Steel City derby approaches.

A win over Wednesday's fiercest rivals at Bramall Lane would not only prove a massive three points in the battle to beat the drop but would also be the first time the Owls had doubled Sheffield United in a League season since 1914.

Having won 2-0 at Hillsborough in January, Laws is aiming for glory across the city tonight.

"It's their home game, it's their chance for revenge but we know that there are a couple of extra factors involved in this game," Laws said. "One is that we need the points for safety and secondly we want to beat Sheffield United because we want to be part of history.

"To do the double over United it would be the first time in 90-odd years and most Sheffield Wednesday fans will never have seen it in their lifetimes. I wouldn't mind being put down in black and white to say I was part of that.

The Owls boss continued: "There are always records to be beaten and I like to be involved in records. It's not going to be easy but I would like to think the Sheffield Wednesday fans deserve something to cheer about.

"We have given them such a bad season, sitting through a lot of worry, that I want to give them something they can really cheer about and be very proud about. We will certainly be going all out to try and achieve that.

"There is a real pressure on because we want the points and they want to stop us doing the double."

Laws will certainly have a different looking team to the one that beat the Blades on January 19 due to injuries and new players coming in on loan. He will also have to wait until late in the day to assess the fitness of several players before confirming his line-up.

Wade Small (groin), Franck Songo'o (thigh), Mark Beevers (knee), Peter Gilbert (groin) and Richard Hinds (ankle) will all be given late fitness tests.

"It is one of those occasions where we will have to wait until the last minute to see who is going to be available for us," Laws said. "On the positive side, it means that Sheffield United will have no idea what team we will put out there because I don't know who we are going to put out there."

But the manager knows that whoever plays at Bramall Lane tonight, the players will need to be brave and focussed in a match that is almost impossible to predict.

"These games are really hard to predict in terms of the outcome," Laws stated. "Sheffield United will go into the game full of confidence after their recent run under Kevin Blackwell. They are a different team from the one we faced in January, no doubt about it.

"They will come at us but I think we can defend that and we have players that can hurt them as well. We have got pace that could be an edge and a significant factor in the game."

Stating the vital ingredients he will want to see from his players in the Steel City derby, Laws added: "You have got to be brave in these games, I thought we were very brave in the game at our place. You have to be extremely brave on the ball, you have to want the ball, even in tight areas, not be worried about it and certainly don't worry about making mistakes.

"You've got to be adventurous and you have got to have the right mental attitude because if you don't go in with the right mental attitude then you will get nothing."

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