Sheffield Wednesday returned to winning ways at Hillsborough with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Coventry.

First half goals from Darren Purse - his first for the Owls since signing over the summer - and Leon Clarke sealed the points as Wednesday turned in a dominant display to move back towards the top half of the Championship table.

It was all-change for SWFC as illness and injury forced Brian Laws to shuffle his pack. Virus victim Richard Wood stood down so Mark Beevers came into the heart of the rearguard alongside skipper Purse.

Jermaine Johnson returned on the left flank in place of Etienne Esajas - also on the sick bed - while loanee striker Luke Varney came back into the starting line-up having missed out against parent club Derby last time out. Marcus Tudgay was still feeling the effects of a recent neck injury, leaving Clarke to partner Varney up front.

The Owls might have made the breakthrough even before Purse headed the hosts into a fourth-minute lead. Johnson broke free down the channel and sent in a low cross that just evaded the onrushing figure of Clarke.

But Wednesday kept up the early pressure and were rewarded when Purse climbed high from Darren Potter's well-placed corner to nod past the committed Kieren Westwood.

Coventry came back into the contest without troubling Lee Grant and it was the Owls that struck next on 19 minutes to double their advantage. James O'Connor was felled in the box by Elliott Ward after a jinking run and up stepped Clarke to blast emphatically into the back of the Kop net.

City had to wait until the half-hour mark before truly threatening and Patrick Van Aanholt should have done better when the ball fell kindly at his feet 12 yards out but the loanee from Chelsea could only scoop high over the crossbar.

The game continued with Wednesday in the driving seat. Laws' side had certainly found their rhythm, playing the kind of free-flowing football that City struggled to contain.

And the Owls finished the first half with their two-goal cushion intact as controversy reigned on the 45-minute mark. A deep Coventry corner found its way to ex-Owls loanee Leon Best, whose header appeared to cross the line but referee Colin Webster waved play-on to the frustration of the travelling fans from the Midlands.



The Sky Blues came out for the second period with more purpose but still failed to profit from their bursts of enterprise. To compound matters, they lost midfielder Aaron Gunnarsson ten minutes in following a tackle from Clarke, for which the Wednesday striker was booked.

City did manage to force Grant into action, though; the keeper saving comfortably from Ward's speculative overhead kick.

More controversy reigned on 64 minutes when City thought they had earned a penalty when Best tumbled under a challenge from Tommy Spurr. The referee blew up and a spot-kick seemed the only conclusion but after consulting with his assistant, Mr Webster gave the ball to the Owls.

Wednesday headed straight down the other end and nearly made it three as Clarke found space in the penalty area to curl a shot that beat Westwood but also the upright.

City responded with Isaac Osbourne drilling a shot that was beaten out by Grant and the visitors entered the latter stages enjoying more of the possession.

But the Wednesday goal rarely looked in danger and the Owls comfortably kept Coventry at bay to head into Tuesday night's clash with Preston on the back of a fully merited win.

Owls: Grant, Buxton, Purse, Beevers, Spurr, Johnson (Miller 90), Potter, O'Connor, Gray (McAllister 77), Clarke (Sodje 74), Varney

Unused substitutes: O'Donnell, Hinds, Simek, Jeffers

Coventry: Westwood, Wright, Van Aanholt, Ward, Turner, Cork, Osbourne, Gunnarsson (Eastwood 55), Morrison, Best, McIndoe (Cain 71)

Unused substitutes: Cranie, Konstantopoulos, Clarke, Grandison, Walker

Referee: Colin Webster

Attendance: 20,026