Ten-man Wednesday slipped to a 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Reading in swirling conditions at Hillsborough.
Osaze Urhoghide was sent off early in the second half after Yakou Meite opened the scoring. George Puskas doubled the lead and a late Sam Baldock penalty was the final coating of gloss.
Chances were few in the driving rain but the Royals took the ones that mattered, although the initial signs were encouraging as the Owls were first out of the traps.
Kadeem Harris called keeper Rafael Cabral into action after 10 minutes, the winger bursting free down the left flank to cut inside to deliver a low drive that Cabral palmed to safety.
But 10 minutes later and against the run of play, Reading took the lead from their first attack.
Ovie Ejaria executed the perfect pass through a mass of bodies for the advancing Meite to drill past Cameron Dawson.
It was hard on Wednesday, who regrouped and began to probe the Reading defence and Liam Palmer, skipper for the day, sent a teasing ball into the danger zone that evaded the onrushing Atdhe Nuhiu by a whisker.
Possession favoured the hosts overall but Reading went into half time with Cabral largely untroubled and their advantage intact.
Then, to compound matters for Wednesday, they were reduced to 10 men three minutes into the second period.
Urhoghide was late with a challenge on the tricky Ejaria and saw an earlier yellow card upgraded to red.
That gave Reading the platform to use the extra man wisely and they made Wednesday pay on 71 minutes, albeit with a slice of luck.
Andy Yiadom slammed a hopeful shot from the edge of the box that Dawson had covered until a wicked deflection off Puscas diverted the ball into the net.
It could have been worse just minutes later but Dawson spread himself to thwart Ejaria when the midfielder looked favourite to score.
But Reading would make it 3-0 in injury time when Dominic Iorfa tripped Rinomhota in the area and Baldock duly converted from the spot.
Wednesday: Dawson, Urhoghide (S/O 48), Iorfa, Börner, Palmer, Harris, Pelupessy (Bannan 46), Lee, Da Cruz (Murphy 56), Forestieri, Nuhiu (Wickham 67)