The Owls produced by far their best performance of the season so far to brush aside a beleaguered Scunthorpe at Hillsborough.

Inspired by the effervescent figure on on-loan striker Luke Varney - who on another day might have had a hat-trick - Wednesday tore through the Iron defence at will en route to a comfortable first win of the campaign.

Richard Wood and Jermaine Johnson gave the hosts an early two-goal cushion before Marcus Tudgay and Darren Potter each found the target to complete a resounding victory.

New recruit Varney went straight into the team to take on Scunthorpe, which was the only change from the side that lost at Newcastle in midweek.

Makeshift striker Johnson reverted to his customary wing position while Sean McAllister dropped to the bench. Striker Akpo Sodje returned as a substitute having recovered from a groin strain.

Hitman Varney showed his intent to impress from the kick-off, bursting past three defenders and into the danger zone before being crowded out at the last.

The Derby man then went close on five minutes, forcing keeper Joe Murphy into a smart save after finding space to take Tommy Spurr's threaded pass into his stride.

And Spurr was influential as the Owls went into the lead from the resulting corner. Potter floated over to the back post, where Spurr nodded goalwards for Wood to apply the finishing touch with a close range header.

Wednesday were in total command as the visitors struggled to keep pace with the Owls' high tempo game. And the Iron duly fell further behind on 12 minutes.

Varney broke free down the right of the penalty area and his pull-back fell kindly to Johnson, who thumped hard and low into the Leppings Lane net from 12 yards to notch his fourth goal in five matches.

Wednesday continued to cause the Scunthorpe rearguard all sorts of problems and Potter's clever flick found Varney in the box but his header was well saved by the over-worked Murphy.

Nigel Adkins' side had little in the way of reply and should have fallen three behind on the 20-minute mark. Varney's header located the on-rushing Darren Purse in space but the Owls skipper sliced wide with the goal at his mercy.

The pace was relentless and Varney - who was central to all the positive play emanating from the Owls - burst free on goal a minute later and brought a fine save from Murphy.

The one-way traffic paused midway through the half when Wood and Rob Jones clashed heads, resulting in the Scunthorpe defender being led off the pitch on a stretcher.

The Owls carried on where they left off, though, and first James O'Connor then Purse went close inside a minute. But the Iron could do nothing to stop the red-hot hosts, who extended their lead on 34 minutes.

Michael Gray swung over an accurate corner into the heart of the six-yard box and Tudgay climbed high to head emphatically past Murphy.

And the Iron might have gone down the tunnel at half time four down but had Murphy to thank for moving swiftly off his line to deny Tudgay just before the whistle.

With the Owls almost out of sight, Scunthorpe had little choice but to go for the throat following the resumption and Spurr thwarted Matthew Sparrow with a last-ditch tackle in the box on 52 minutes.

The Iron were more adventurous but nearly made to pay for pressing forward in numbers. Varney was on the end of Potter's clever through ball but again Murphy was on his toes to prevent a deserved goal for the loanee striker.

But the Scunthorpe keeper could do nothing to keep out Potter's strike in the 59^th minute. Tudgay's deflected shot sat up perfectly for the on-song midfielder, who gave Murphy no chance with a blistering shot from distance.

Still the Owls refused to let up and Varney was sent scampering clear by Johnson but Murphy once more prevented the former Charlton man from adding to his Owls tally.

That proved Varney's last action of note before he left the field to a standing ovation from three sides of the ground.

With the destination of the points settled, the last 20 minutes were played out at a reduced pace by both sides.

And while the Owls could reflect on some scintillating football that bodes well for the future, Scunthorpe's second 4-0 drubbing of a season barely under way will only set the alarm bells ringing at Glanford Park.

Owls: Grant, Buxton, Purse, Wood, Spurr, Johnson (Esajas 65), Potter, O'Connor (Miller 72), Gray, Varney (Jeffers 71), Tudgay

Unused substitutes: O'Donnell, Hinds, McAllister, Sodje

Scunthorpe: Murphy, Byrne, Spence, Jones (Canavan 26), Williams, Sparrow, McCann (Togwell 59), O'Connor (Wright 46), Woolford, Hayes, Hooper

Unused substitutes: Lillis, Forte, Thompson, Morris

Referee: Andy Hall

Attendance: 20,215