A second half hit from Danny Mandroiu cancelled out Lee Gregory’s third goal in two games to deny Wednesday all three points at Lincoln.
The Owls were on course for victory after bossing the first half but were stunned straight after the resumption when the Imps struck back.
The game may well have been out of the home side’s reach by that point but Wednesday’s tally was kept to one and Lincoln capitalised.
It took the in-form Gregory just eight minutes to make his mark with a goal that Carl Rushworth will want to forget.
The Imps’ keeper played a misplaced pass right into the path of Gregory 20 yards out and the striker took full advantage, taking a moment to compose himself before slotting into an unguarded net.
It was a confident start from the Owls, who dominated much of the possession while causing problems in the final third.
Lincoln had to wait until the contest was 20 minutes in before registering a shot when Ben House’s angled drive was comfortably ushered wide by David Stockdale.
Play went straight to the other end and Wednesday went mightily close to doubling their lead. Barry Bannan sent a set piece to the back stick, where Ben Heneghan climbed high to head against the upright.
Lincoln did drag themselves back into contention as half time approached but the Owls’ rearguard was never in any kind of danger.
But that changed just a minute into the second period as Wednesday were caught cold.
Mandroiu pounced on a House through-ball, advanced into the area and prodded low past Stockdale to level.
Straight from the restart, though, the Owls went within a whisker of regaining the lead. Gregory peeled away down the right, his cross found the advancing Bannan unmarked six yards from goal, but somehow Paudie O’Connor got back in the nick of time to hoof clear.
Gregory fed Josh Windass next but the shot was wayward, as were further efforts from Smith and substitute George Byers.
And despite asking all the questions as the clock counted down, there was no way through for a winner and Wednesday could only reflect on an afternoon that might have been.
Wednesday: Stockdale, Palmer, Ihiekwe, Heneghan (Dele-Bashiru 71), McGuinness, Johnson, Vaulks (Byers 58), Bannan, Windass (Wilks 85), Gregory, Smith