Wednesday’s hopes of stretching our unbeaten league run to four games ended in a 1-0 defeat at promotion-chasing Middlesbrough tonight.

It was a gutsy second-half display from the Owls, with tremendous backing again from the fans, against a Boro team clearly lacking in confidence following a poor run and only a gift of a goal after 11 minutes separated the sides at the end of the evening.

Wednesday, with Pierce Charles missing through injury sustained against Charlton on Saturday,, began the game in a positive manner but fell behind to that early strike from the hosts.

Gabriel Otegbayo played a shocking backpass towards keeper Murphy Cooper inside the penalty area but Morgan Whittaker was able to seize on the ball to slot past the keeper from a tight angle.

Boro wasted other openings before the break while Wednesday offered little going forward, Charlie McNeill and Jarvis Thornton well off target with long-range efforts in a distinctly low-key first half.

With Boro still looking far from a possible promotion outfit for large parts of the second half, Wednesday began to look more dangerous as the game wore on.

Jamal Lowe had a shot deflected wide for a corner on 68 minutes and soon afterwards we had penalty claims waived away by referee David Webb. Max Lowe made a dangerous run into the box, defender Aidan Morris challenged him and appeared to handle the ball as he fell to the floor, only for the official to award a free kick to Boro.

Then sub Will Grainger, given a 23-minute runout, showed his eye for goal with a snapshot from inside the box that brought a diving save from home keeper in our only shot on target.

Middlesbrough missed a great added time chance to double their lead when Cooper saved at the feet of Kaly Sene and Tayo Adaramola cleared the follow-up chip from Jeremy Sarmiento off the line.

That would have been harsh on a Wednesday side after a decent second-half display which might have brought some reward but for a lack of a cutting edge.

M Cooper, Fusire, Palmer, Otegbayo, M Lowe, Adaramola, Heskey, Thornton (Grainger 67), Nakamba (Chalobah 62), McNeill (J Lowe 62), Yates (Kobacki 83). Unused subs: Stretch, McGhee, Iorfa, Silcott-Duberry, Moses.