A two-goal salvo from Louie Marsh early in the second half laid the foundations for Sheffield United to take the Under-21 derby spoils at Hillsborough.
Until that point, the contest was a relatively even affair that could have gone either way in the first half.
But the Blades came out flying for the second period and showed their top of the table credentials to take maximum points.
Marsh took centre stage with his brace and handed the mantle to Andre Brooks late on for United to run out 3-0 winners.
A fast-paced start saw chances at both ends, with keepers Jordan Amissah and Pierce Charles called into action.
First Josh Ashman forced a flying save from Amissah 12 yards out after a swift Owls build-up.
Moments later the visitors broke and Charles went down low with his feet to parry Marsh’s hit before Daniel Jebbison blasted the rebound over.
Leojo Davidson threatened twice in as many minutes, firing just over the bar on the angle then sending a dangerous ball into the danger zone that evaded the onrushing Bailey Cadamarteri.
Back came United and Charles had to stretch high right underneath his crossbar to prevent a Sydie Peck corner going straight in.
Jebbison scooped a clear opening over with the interval approaching but it was Wednesday that came close to breaking the deadlock on 39 minutes.
Murtadha Al-Jahadhmy swung in a deep corner from which Ashman planted a firm header hoofed off the line by Finley Potter.
And straight after the restart, United seized the advantage with two quickfire goals.
On 49 minutes, Sai Sachdev made strides down the right flank and looked up to deliver the perfect centre for Marsh to dispatch from close range.
With Wednesday reeling, United promptly doubled their lead two minutes later. Peck executed another dangerous corner and this time Marsh thumped a fierce header that Charles could only help into the net.
The Owls were on the ropes and the derby was almost out of reach on 55 minutes. Jebbison muscled his way past Ashman to advance on Charles, his dinked effort looked certain to go in but the Wednesday defender showed tremendous powers of recovery to get back and hook off the line.
The contest settled back down following that burst of activity, with most of the play confined to the engine room.
Chances came at a premium, although Wednesday did up the ante as the second half wore on.
Amissah had to be alert to thwart Will Trueman from distance and Sean Fusire was a whisker away from Cadamarteri’s cross to the back post.
But it just wasn’t Wednesday’s night, as evidenced by the third goal three minutes from time. Brooks took possession just outside the ‘D’ and his shot took a wicked deflection off the unfortunate Ashman before looping over Charles and in.
Wednesday: Charles, Fusire, Agbontohoma, Ashman, Aguas (Sesay 68), Trueman, Glover, Dunn (Shipston 70), Al-Jahadmy, Davidson, Cadamarteri