Marvin Johnson's goal was only Sheffield Wednesday's seventh in the league this season
Sheffield Wednesday substitute Anthony Musaba’s late strike earned a dramatic victory over previously unbeaten Championship leaders West Bromwich Albion.
Baggies substitute Alex Mowatt’s mis-hit 84th-minute shot from the edge of the box looked like rescuing a point for below-par Albion, who battled back from a 2-0 half-time deficit.
But within two minutes, Musaba tapped in his first goal of the season, from a typically smart pass by the excellent Barry Bannan, to earn the Owls their second league victory this season and end a four-game winless run.
An early deflected Marvin Johnson strike and Josh Windass' brilliant first-time header from Akin Famewo’s measured long pass gave the hosts a richly deserved half-time lead.
Championship top scorer Josh Maja’s seventh goal of the season made it 2-1 and Mowatt’s shot bounced down into the turf and over keeper James Beadle to make it 2-2, and the visitors briefly had hope of a fifth consecutive Championship win.
Musaba’s intervention quickly ended that prospect and lifted Wednesday out of the relegation zone.
Both slides won their opening games of the season, Wednesday thumping Plymouth Argyle 4-0.
But although their fortunes have varied drastically since then, with the Baggies winning four of their next five league games and the Owls losing four of their next five, it was the hosts who were brighter, sharper and more dangerous from the outset and they ended up being worthy winners.
Danny Rohl’s side mixed up their game brilliantly, going long to stretch the play and then making the most of the space that was created in midfield to play through the lines as the visitors dropped deep to thwart the more direct threat.
Moments after the impressive Bannan’s acrobatic overhead kick went over, Wednesday moved the ball quickly from right to left to Bannan, who found Johnson and the winger’s shot went across goal, flicked off Darnell Furlong and beyond keeper Alex Palmer.
West Brom rarely threatened before the break, with almost 20 minutes gone before they posed any sort of menace.
A Furlong header from a free-kick that looped up harmlessly over the bar brought a brief flurry of pressure and Maja had a shot blocked after great work by the ever-lively Tom Fellows.
Maja also made a mess of a free header from a corner, while Beadle spread himself brilliantly to deny Karlan Grant from close range following a cute pass by Maja.
But the Owls, with Bannan dictating play in midfield, remained the more impressive side and Famewo's long pass travelled about 60 yards and Windass showed magnificent awareness to run and head the ball over the advancing Palmer from the edge of the box.
Bannan also had a strike from distance that flew over the bar and Palmer comfortably dealt with an Olaf Kobacki shot from a tight angle as the hosts chased a third goal before the break.
The failure to find a game-sealing third goal looked like proving costly as the Baggies, with Mowatt and John Swift bringing much needed control in the centre of the pitch.
But Musaba got on the end of a slick move to grab the winner.
