Sheffield Wednesday made it three wins on the bounce on home soil with a 3-0 win over 10-man QPR.
Richard Dunne was dismissed for the visitors in the first half following a foul in the area, and Chris Maguire scored the resulting penalty.
The impressive Leon Best and returning defender Lewis Buxton also scored as Wednesday made their numerical advantage count and completely controlled the game.
Stuart Gray made one change from Saturday’s 4-1 win over Birmingham, with Liam Palmer replacing Sam Hutchinson in midfield.
The Londoners created the first opportunity on nine minutes when Joey Barton’s quick free kick caught Wednesday off guard, and Clint Hill headed narrowly wide when he perhaps ought to have done better.
Having settled into the match, the Owls looked threatening on the counter, as Maguire saw his drive deflected wide after good work from Atdhe Nuhiu midway through the half.
After a cagey opening, the game exploded into life just after the half-hour when Wednesday were awarded a penalty.
Best was fouled in the area by Dunne, and the QPR defender was sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Maguire sent Brian Murphy the wrong way and dispatched his spot kick with aplomb.
The goal gave the hosts new belief and they went on to dominate the remainder of the half.
Palmer clipped the ball to the back post where Maguire glanced a header narrowly wide before Caolan Lavery then fired in a menacing cross which was well dealt with by Nedum Onuoha.
It was nearly two on the stroke of half time when Murphy denied Nuhiu’s header from a dangerous Maguire corner. Buxton also had a chance with the last kick of the half but his effort was well held by the keeper.
Wednesday did double their advantage five minutes after the restart. Best received a pass on the edge of the area, turned his man superbly and fired the ball past the keeper.
It was one-way traffic and Nuhiu fired over after a swift counter involving Best and Maguire before a well-deserved third goal arrived on 71 minutes.
QPR failed to clear Maguire’s corner, which Buxton controlled well before sending a terrific shot into the far corner.
Jermaine Johnson, on for the outstanding Best, then tested Murphy with a ferocious effort from 25 yards before the Jamaican winger dragged wide at the death and that signalled the end of arguably Wednesday’s most impressive performance of the season.
Owls: Martinez, Buxton, Loovens, Onyewu, Helan, Maguire (Afobe 82), Lee, Palmer, Lavery (Prutton 82), Best (Johnson 73), Nuhiu
QPR: Murphy, Morrison, Dunne, Hill, Onuoha, Barton, Hughes, Henry (Yun 46), Hoilett (Kranjcar 46), Zamara, O’Neil (Carroll 82)