The Owls came from behind to beat Exeter 2-1 and ensure the battle at the summit of League One continues.

Josh Key gave the Grecians the lead early in the second half but Lee Gregory equalised before Callum Paterson notched a crucial winner at Hillsborough.

The remit was three points any which way and with rivals Plymouth and Ipswich winning, all that mattered was the box that Darren Moore’s men ticked.
A tense opening yielded little action of note other than a change of referee on the 20-minute mark when Declan Bourne limped off, replaced by fourth official Andy Haines.

Prior to that, Barry Bannan tried his luck from distance – Marvin Johnson the same just after – but both efforts were wide of the target.

The closest Exeter came in a low-key opening period was Alex Hartridge’s clever backheel that rolled the wrong side of the post.

Wednesday, who controlled most of the possession, had to wait until the stroke of half time to test Jamal Blackman and the Grecians’ keeper was equal to a vicious Will Vaulks drive on the angle inside the box.

The contest needed a lift and the visitors provided it one minute after the break. Jake Caprice swung in a dangerous cross from the right and Key glanced into the back of the Kop net.

Two minutes later, Cameron Dawson saved smartly from Josh Coley when the midfielder seemed favourite to score, which proved a turning point.

Wednesday pressed on - Liam Palmer skewed over the bar from a teasing Johnson delivery - before drawing level on 59 minutes.

Barry Bannan picked out Gregory darting across the area and the striker’s headed finish from 12 yards whistled past the diving Blackman.

Exeter hit back and the same combination that spawned the opener could have seen the Devon side back in the lead.

The move was almost identical too, only this time the finish from Key was lacking, setting up a frantic finish in S6.

The Owls drove forward in pursuit of a vital winner and it landed with 15 minutes to go.

Substitute Dennis Adeniran did superbly well to muscle past his man on the right flank, his cross found its way to Johnson, whose mishit shot was diverted home by the lurking Paterson.

Michael Smith hit the post in the dying embers but it mattered not as Paterson’s strike proved conclusive and Wednesday’s promotion ambitions move on to another weekend.

Wednesday: Dawson, Palmer, Iorfa, Flint (Adeniran 57), Brown (Ihiekwe 70), Vaulks, Bannan, Johnson, Paterson, Gregory (Bakinson 83), Smith