There was no capital gain for Wednesday as they went down 4-1 to QPR at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.
A Lyndon Dykes brace caused the bulk of the damage, with Stefan Johansen and Chris Willock also on the scoresheet to leave the Owls in grave danger towards the foot of the Championship.
Josh Windass added to his tally but despite being the better team for long periods, Wednesday left London empty handed.
After Willock brought Joe Wildsmith into action at his near post inside three minutes, the Owls really settled into the contest, imposing their passing games on the hosts.
Rangers keeper Seny Dieng got a vital touch to Liam Palmer’s cross 10 minutes in, from which Jordan Rhodes was waiting to pounce.
The Owls players converged in the box from a Barry Bannan corner were adamant Dieng connected with Tom Lees as well as the ball but the R’s were awarded a free kick.
And from the next meaningful attack on 27 minutes, QPR took the lead. Yoann Barbet swung over a delicious cross deep from the left and Dykes positioned himself well to glance into the far corner.
But the lead would last only three minutes as Wednesday deservedly drew level with a sublime reply.
Bannan worked possession wide to Adam Reach, who touched inside for the marauding Windass to expertly finish beyond Dieng with the outside of his boot.
From that point on it was all Wednesday for the remainder of the first half - Windass shot down the throat of Dieng almost on the whistle – and Rangers could count themselves fortunate to head down the tunnel on terms.
And fortune was on the R’s side five minutes after the resumption when the lead was restored. Johansen’s curling effort from the edge of the penalty area was covered by Wildsmith before a wicked deflection off Osaze Urhoghide diverted the ball into the back of the net.
The Owls needed a second response and Rhodes was a fraction away from converting a Reach cross.
But just as the visitors looked to be forging a route back into the contest, Rangers scored a third. A hanging cross from Rob Dickie was nodded back across goal by Willock and Dykes applied the finishing touch to give the Owls a mountain to climb.
They did take the game back to Rangers – Windass saw a vicious drive deflected wide and when Dieng palmed into his own net from the resulting corner, the goal was disallowed for a foul on the keeper.
The Owls made a triple change with 20 minutes to go and one of the substitutes, Elias Kachunga, was thwarted right in front of goal by Dickie.
Windass went close with a rasping drive from distance before the scoreline was given a rather flattering look in stoppage time.
Substitute George Thomas burst down the left and played an inviting feed for Willock, who made no mistake from six yards to conclude a crushing blow to the Owls’ survival hopes.
Wednesday: Wildsmith, Palmer, Urhoghide (Harris 71), Lees, Börner, Reach, Hutchinson (Pelupessy 83), Bannan, Paterson (Green 71), Windass, Rhodes (Kachunga 71)