Wednesday recorded a fifth win from six games as a Djeidi Gassama strike was enough to beat Plymouth at Hillsborough.
Gassama netted in the second half as recent goal-getter Iké Ugbo turned provider to further boost the Owls’ fight against the drop.
Four teams, including Wednesday, are now locked on 38 points and Danny Röhl ’s men go into Friday night’s derby against Leeds with the prospect of exiting the bottom three for the first time since August.
The Pilgrims were on the backfoot for much of this game after top scorer Morgan Whittaker fired a warning shot that sailed over.
The Owls assumed control, with Ian Poveda the chief tormentor. The tricky winger twisted and turned past Mickel Miller and found Ugbo, whose instinctive snapshot was parried away by Conor Hazard.
Poveda was his trademark dangerous self and seemed to have opened his Wednessay account 20 minutes in.
Superb work from Gassama sent Pol Valentin scampering clear down the right flank and Poveda buried the delivery only to look up and see a raised flag.
Undeterred, Wednesday continued to knock at the door, with dogged defensive work from the visitors preventing a way through.
The Owls were hampered by the loss of Barry Bannan as the skipper failed to emerge for the second half.
But the traffic remained one-way and the hosts were rewarded on the hour.
Ugbo picked the pocket of Adam Forshaw out wide and found the advancing Gassama - Hazard got a hand to the Frenchman’s low shot but could not stop the ball bulging the Kop net.
Gassama was in the mood and the diving Hazard was relieved to see a 25-yard bullet clear the post.
The goal forced Plymouth forward, which left gaps at the back that Wednesday almost exploited with 15 minutes to go.
Substitute Bailey Cadamarteri burst down the flank and fed the onrushing Marvin Johnson but the latter’s effort spooned over the crossbar.
The Pilgrims pushed more numbers upfield in pursuit of an equaliser and enjoyed their most productive period of the contest.
But they failed to breach a rigid Owls rearguard, bringing the basement battle to boiling point.
Wednesday: Beadle, Valentin (Palmer 87), Iorfa (B Diaby 76)), Ihiekwe, Bernard, Johnson, Vaulks, Bannan (M Diaby 46), Poveda (Musaba 76), Gassama, Ugbo (Cadamarteri 69)
