The Owls competed strongly in Norfolk but were eventually overcome by the more powerful and experienced home side, with Pedersen applauding the effort shown by his players.
He said: “I thought we started the match very positively. Our high press worked well early on and we managed to win the ball back in advanced areas a few times.
“But then we dropped deeper and Norwich are a team with quality and strong individuals. For the first goal, we didn’t track the run at the far post, and the second was simply a brilliant finish.
“At the end you could see how exhausted the boys were. They were completely spent, and for such a young team, they gave everything they had.
“I believe the players left everything out there on the pitch.”
The head coach confirmed that Dominic Iorfa’s early withdrawal against the Canaries had been pre-planned as part of his recovery programme, but he also delivered disappointing news about Liam Cooper, who is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the season with injury.
He added: “Dom’s substitution was arranged before kick-off.
“We debated whether he should even start. The original idea was for him to be on the bench on Saturday, but with Liam Cooper ruled out for the rest of the campaign, our options at centre-back were limited.
“We knew Dom could manage 45 minutes, so that’s why the change was made.
“Coops is one of the leaders in our senior group and extremely important to us on the football side. Losing him is a big blow.”
The travelling Wednesday supporters were in full voice throughout the midweek fixture, and Pedersen expressed his gratitude to those who made the 300-mile journey from South Yorkshire, especially given everything they have faced in recent months.
He added: “I told the players that after relegation and everything that has happened, we must show what kind of team we want to be.
“Our fans leave work early and won’t get home until late tonight, and we have to give them something to be proud of – that’s the most important thing.
“They give everything for us, so we must give everything for them. At the end of the match, all the coaches and staff went over to thank them because they deserve that appreciation.”
Before kick-off, the club’s administration confirmed that takeover negotiations with the preferred bidders had ended, and that talks were now underway with other interested parties about purchasing the club.
Pedersen stressed that his squad is focused on what they can control:
“We are all hoping for a new takeover so that we can look ahead to the future and not just fight to survive.
“Everyone wants the takeover to be completed.
“The players were aware of the situation before the match, but we told them this process is out of our hands, so our full focus had to be on today’s game.”
