Giles Coke's second goal in Sheffield Wednesday colours helped secure a crucial 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in a feisty affair at Hillsborough.
A late first half strike from the ex-Motherwell man maintained Wednesday's unbeaten record for the season and an added bonus came in the shape of another clean sheet, with Nicky Weaver particularly impressive between the posts.
Alan Irvine made two changes to the side that drew at Colchester last Saturday. Darren Potter took the place of James O'Connor in midfield, whilst Neil Mellor started in place of Clinton Morrison up front.
The Seagulls lost just five league games away from home last term, but they were on the backfoot early on. Gary Teale linked up with Tommy Spurr down the left flank, before the latter fired in a dangerous low cross from the by-line which Chris Sedgwick diverted goalwards with his chest, only for his unorthodox effort to trickle across the face of goal.
The Owls continued to press forward, with Spurr again causing chaos out wide. This time his teasing cross was hit towards Neil Mellor, who went down under a challenge from Adam El-Abd in the area, cue a number of appeals for a penalty from the home crowd, only for the referee to wave play on. An off the ball scuffle between Mellor and El-Abd followed, for which the Wednesday player received a yellow card.
The game had started in a frantic and competitive manner and Elliot Bennett stung the palms of Weaver from distance, but it was Wednesday who continued to carve out the better openings. Darren Purse tested ex-Leeds goalkeeper Casper Ankergren with a glancing header from Spurr's free kick, as the volume increased on a sunny afternoon in S6.
Wednesday were piling men forward in search of the opener, but when Coke's long range effort was charged down, the visitors showed just how dangerous they could be on the break. Glenn Murray raced away down the right, before sliding a ball across the face of goal Bennett, whose deft touch was well held by Weaver.
And Bennett again forced Weaver into a stop on the half-hour mark, firing a free kick up and over the wall.
But the Owls got the goal their pressure deserved in the 38th minute. Coke plucked the ball out of the air superbly on the edge of the area, played a neat one-two with Marcus Tudgay, which bought him just enough time to open his body up and curl the ball high beyond Ankergren into the Leppings Lane net.
But Brighton almost found an equaliser immediately. Jamie Smith rattled the outside of the post from distance before the referee brought to end an entertaining 45 minutes of football.
The second period started in a similar fashion, with both sides throwing men forward. Smith saw an effort clip the top of Weaver's crossbar after a cutback from Bennett and Coke almost doubled his tally after a clever short corner routine, only to be denied by a strong Ankergren fist.
It was end-to-end stuff, and Brighton were just inches away from levelling the scores on the hour mark. Gary Dicker led a swift counter attack and threaded a neat ball into the path of Murray, who slid his effort under the body of the onrushing Weaver, but inches wide of the post.
Tudgay then saw a looping header from Lewis Buxton's cross drift narrowly wide as tempers began to flair. Sedgwick flew into a challenge with Marcos Painter, and after numerous scuffles between both sets of players, the Sheffield-born winger walked away with just a yellow card, much to the annoyance of the travelling Brighton fans.
Gus Poyet switched to an attacking 4-4-3 formation, as the visitors went in search of an equaliser. But it was Wednesday who continued to threaten. Mellor saw a rasping drive from 30 yards narrowly clear the crossbar.
In response Poyet then threw on Argentine duo Agustin Battipiedi and Christian Baz, but again Wednesday mustered the better openings. Substitute James O'Connor saw a back post header sail over the crossbar, as Brighton's chances f an equaliser began to fade.
The one time they did unlock the Wednesday rearguard, Buxton came to rescue with a last ditch challenge on Bennett inside the area.
Substitute Paul Heffernan miss-hit a late effort wide, but there was to be no further goalmouth action, as Wednesday chalked up three points.
Owls: Weaver, Buxton, Purse, Beevers, Spurr, Sedgwick (O'Connor 73), Potter, Coke (Palmer 88), Teale, Mellor (Heffernan 81), Tudgay.
Unused substitutes: Jameson, Hinds, Jones, Otsemobor.
Brighton: Ankergren, Elphick, Bennett, Barnes, Calderon, Murray, Dicker, Painter, El-Abd, Smith (Battipiedi 71), Kishishev (Baz 78).
Unused substitutes: Walker, Hart, Holroyd, Caskey, Cook.
Attendance: 18,674
