Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Plymouth Argyle: Owls' fight against relegation continues with big win
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Djeidi Gassama celebrated just his third goal of the season
Sheffield Wednesday's fight against Championship relegation continued to gather pace as they beat fellow strugglers Plymouth Argyle 1-0.
Ian Poveda had a goal disallowed for offside for the hosts after 20 minutes while Ike Ugbo also went close for the Owls in a goalless first half.
Djeidi Gassama broke the deadlock when he prodded home Ugbo's cross from the right while he went close to a second soon after.
Argyle struggled to create any clear-cut chances as they failed to score in a game for a fourth time in five fixtures.
Wednesday's victory - their fifth in six games - sees them stay second from bottom but, crucially, they are now level on points with the three sides above them as their resurgence under Danny Rohl continues.
Argyle remain two points above the Owls in 16th place in a congested lower part of the table.
Wednesday had the best of the chances as Ugbo forced a good save from Conor Hazard in the ninth minute before Poveda finished off a fine flowing move but was denied by the assistant's flag, although replays showed it was a very tight decision.
Ashely Phillips headed wide for Argyle soon after while James Beadle beat away a Mickel Miller shot for Pilgrims as the opening period drew to a close.
Argyle will be frustrated with Wednesday's opener after Adam Forshaw was caught in possession deep in his own territory and Ugo was able to break into the box and feed Gassama, whose shot went in despite Hazard getting a decent hand to it.
Gassama was not too far from doubling his tally two minutes later when he flashed a long-range shot wide while, at the other end. James Beadle did well to save a decent Morgan Whittaker chance soon after.
Mustapha Bundu had a couple of chances for the Pilgrims as the game drew to a close, but they could not find a goal.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl:
"In the last few weeks we've invested a lot of things to come to this point now. We come closer. We've closed the gap and it's an unbelievable race at the bottom of the table, maybe eight or nine teams around us."
(On Friday's derby with Leeds) "This is the outcome from the last few weeks and I hope we can recover for a big game on Friday. I hope we are sold out and everybody comes to push us forward.
"We have to really enjoy it. It is my wish on Friday we have a great atmosphere and this power from the stands to the pitch and from the pitch to the stands. It could be massive on Friday."
Plymouth Argyle head coach Ian Foster told BBC Radio Devon:
"It's bitter disappointment, we didn't feel it was a game we ought to have lost.
"It's really unfortunate the manner of the goal - Adam has made an honest mistake, he should have cleared his lines and unfortunately for Adam he slipped over and they've scored on the transition.
"Second half I thought the team were perfect in terms of their approach, I thought we bossed the second half and I can't believe that we've come away having lost the game."