Wednesday's away-day misery continued at Derby County on Saturday. The Owls headed into the game with only one travelling triumph from the season so far and emerged with the same statistic as goals from Kris Commons, Miles Addison and Jordan Stewart sealed a convincing win for the hosts at Pride Park.

Derby, with just two defeats in 12, just had too much quality in the locker as they extended their promising run of form - leapfrogging Wednesday in the table along the way.

Akpo Sodje started his first game for the Owls since the opening day of the season. The Owls frontman struck two goals against Burnley back on August 9 but also injured his knee and has since battled back to fitness. Sodje partnered the in-form Leon Clarke as Marcus Tudgay switched to a wide midfield role in place of Etienne Esajas.

Brian Laws also made a second change to the team that beat Doncaster Rovers seven days ago with Tony McMahon replacing Lewis Buxton at right back.

Owls keeper Lee Grant was called into action inside the first minute, diving to comfortably clutch a dipping Paul Green volley.

Wednesday responded with Sodje going close after a neat feed from Clarke as the game quickly became an open affair. Derby rushed straight up the other end and again Green fired a fierce effort in but on this occasion the ball fell the wrong side of the post.

Rob Hulse tested Grant with a tame header before Wednesday had two chances inside 30 seconds. First Sean McAllister sliced wide when the midfielder had a clear sight on goal then Sodje burst through the middle only to be denied by a last-ditch Lewin Nyatanga tackle.

After a brief lull, the Rams went into the lead right on the half-hour mark. Steve Watson was pressured into a hasty pass across the edge of his own penalty area and the ball fell kindly to Commons, who buried a low, hard drive past the despairing Grant.

Wednesday rallied briefly and saw plenty of the ball without causing danger in the final third but it was Derby who came close to doubling their advantage before half time. A loose ball ran across the penalty area from the right and rolled invitingly into the path of the onrushing Nacer Barazite but Watson made amends for his earlier error with a brave block tackle.

The Owls needed to show their intent early in the second half and did so with Sodje cutting in from the left channel before hitting a low drive that fell narrowly wide.

But just as the visitors were starting to look a threat, the Rams stole into a two-goal lead and again Wednesday only had themselves to blame. James O'Connor lost possession cheaply in the engine room, robbed by Kommons, who teed up Addison to finish neatly across Grant.

Laws made a double substitution in a bid to up the attacking ante as McAllister and Sodje made way for ex-Ram Deon Burton and Jermaine Johnson.

But Derby struck next only for referee Stroud to rule the goal out. Barazite floated over a looping free kick from the right that caused problems in the Owls' six-yard box and as the ball dropped into the net, Grant was adjudged to have been impeded.

The Rams, though, were not to be denied and scored the goal of the game on 67 minutes to put the contest to bed. Given too much time in midfield, Stewart advanced menacingly on goal before unleashing a thunderous strike from 30 yards that flew into the top left-hand corner of Grant's goal.

Watson broke free down the right side of the box with ten minutes left to square back for another ex-Ram, Tudgay, and the striker's shot that ballooned over the crossbar pretty much summed up a dismal day in the Midlands for Wednesday.

Still there was time for substitute Nathan Ellington and Barazite to go close for Derby, who saw out the game with relative ease and a comfortable three points on the trail for promotion.

Wednesday: Grant, McMahon, Wood, Beevers, Spurr, Tudgay, Watson, O'Connor, McAllister (Johnson 57), Sodje (Burton 57), Clarke (Jeffers 68)

Unused substitutes: O'Donnell, Buxton

Derby: Carroll, Connolly, Davis, Nyatanga, Addison, Barazite, Green (Zadkovich 88), Stewart, Commons (Kazmierczak 87), Villa (Ellington 79), Hulse

Unused substitutes: Bywater, McEveley