Will Vaulks’ first goal in Wednesday colours was enough to overcome Port Vale as the Owls continued their climb up the League One table.
Vaulks came to S6 with a reputation of being good for a long ranger, which was duly evidenced at Vale Park as the Wales international executed a second half stunner to give his side the win on an otherwise uneventful afternoon in Staffordshire.
The hosts tried to rally after falling behind but the Owls were in no mood to come away with anything but maximum points once the deadlock was broken and this they did.
In front of their biggest crowd of the season, Vale came out of the traps with purpose and David Stockdale was called into action almost from kick-off, stretching to tip a Gavin Massey cross-cum-shot over the bar.
The contest soon fell into something of a lull on an awkward, uneven surface, before Wednesday twice went close inside a minute.
First, on the half-hour mark, Barry Bannan burst into the box and brought a fine diving save from Jack Stevens high to his right.
Then Bannan found the head of Ben Heneghan from the resulting corner and again Stevens came out on top, this time parrying clear of danger.
And if truth be told, that was as good as it got for both teams in a scrappy and relatively even first half, with the inconsistent surface preventing flowing football.
Bannan was inches away with a set piece straight after the restart as the Owls looked to stamp some authority on the game.
And they did exactly that on 62 minutes as Vaulks opened his account in some style. Little seemed on for the midfield man when he took up possession 25 yards out but Vaulks unleashed a fierce curling effort that whistled into the top corner.
Port Vale pushed for an equaliser but came up against a wall of yellow determined to hang on to the points.
Organised, resolute and marshalled superbly by the towering Heneghan, Wednesday put up barricades that Vale just could not penetrate and Darren Moore’s men closed the game down to emerge triumphant.
Wednesday: Stockdale, Palmer, Heneghan, Ihiekwe, James, Vaulks, Bannan, Johnson, Windass (Dele-Bashiru 81, Wilks (Paterson 65), Smith