Match ends, Sheffield Wednesday 1, Middlesbrough 0.
Sheff WedSheffield Wednesday1MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough0
A late Atdhe Nuhiu penalty secured Sheffield Wednesday a controversial victory over 10-man Middlesbrough.
Boro's Jacob Butterfield had a strike which appeared to cross the goalline ruled out before Leon Best went close for Wednesday.
The decisive moment of the game came late in the second half when Dean Whitehead was deemed to have handled Best's stab towards goal.
The midfielder was sent off and Nuhiu struck from the spot to secure victory.
Nuhiu's goal maintains Wednesday's fine record against Middlesbrough at Hillsborough, where the Owls have now beaten the visitors in five of their past six meetings. The win also ended their run of three successive home defeats in all competitions.
But Boro are now winless in seven games, failing to score in any of those.
The visitors had their chances against Wednesday, with Kei Kamara firing a first-time volley straight at Chris Kirkland and Butterfield's driving effort cannoning off both uprights before Kirkland gathered. The ball looked to have crossed the line but no goal was given.
Wednesday appealed for a penalty before the interval when Boro captain Jonathan Woodgate appeared to clatter midfielder Sam Hutchinson, but referee Andy D'Urso dismissed the home side's appeals.
After the break, the lively Chris Maguire sent a free-kick over the crossbar before Hutchinson tested Boro's debutant goalkeeper Tomas Mejias from long range.
It was then midfielder Giles Coke's turn to be denied by Mejias before Whitehead was sent off for conceded the 87th-minute penalty, which Nuhiu converted coolly.
Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka on Jacob Butterfield's disallowed goal: "I can't say anything because I couldn't see the ball.
"For me, the linesman couldn't see the goal in our favour and he could see the penalty. This is the problem.
"We lost the game because we didn't play well. I don't have to put excuses on the referee or linesman. We had four or five chances to score and if we had scored a goal we would have won the game."
Sheffield Wednesday head coach Stuart Gray: "We deserved the win. The disappointing thing was the first half - there was no intensity.
"One thing you do know is that Middlesbrough are going to have a lot of possession of the ball so we tried nullifying that by pressing them up high but, then, it was one, two, maybe three touches too much instead of moving the ball quicker.
"If you'd said to me before the game: 'Play ugly and win one-nil', I'd have snatched your hand off."
Line-ups
Sheff Wed
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Kirkland
- 22Palmer
- 19MattockSubstituted forHelanat 42'minutes
- 14CokeBooked at 90mins
- 8Onyewu
- 36Loovens
- 18MaguireSubstituted forNuhiuat 71'minutesBooked at 88mins
- 41Hutchinson
- 42Best
- 25Lavery
- 10MaghomaSubstituted forJohnsonat 62'minutes
Substitutes
- 11Johnson
- 13Davies
- 17Helan
- 28Afobe
- 32Llera
- 34Nuhiu
- 40Gardner
Middlesbrough
Formation 4-4-2
- 35Mejias
- 8Varga
- 3FriendBooked at 42mins
- 24Chalobah
- 39WoodgateSubstituted forGibsonat 45'minutes
- 25Omeruo
- 6ButterfieldSubstituted forMainat 75'minutes
- 18WhiteheadBooked at 86mins
- 29Kamara
- 9Graham
- 27AdomahSubstituted forLedesmaat 58'minutesBooked at 86mins
Substitutes
- 7Leadbitter
- 10Tomlin
- 11Ledesma
- 13Konstantopoulos
- 22Gibson
- 23Main
- 28Morris
- Referee:
- Andy D'Urso
- Attendance:
- 20,743
Match Stats
Home TeamSheff WedAway TeamMiddlesbrough
- Possession
- Home56%
- Away44%
- Shots
- Home18
- Away7
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away4
- Corners
- Home6
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away23
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Sheffield Wednesday 1, Middlesbrough 0.
Post update
Attempt saved. Emmanuel Jorge Ledesma (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from more than 35 yards is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Nathaniel Chalobah.
Booking
Giles Coke (Sheffield Wednesday) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Giles Coke (Sheffield Wednesday).
Post update
József Varga (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Atdhe Nuhiu (Sheffield Wednesday).
Post update
George Friend (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Atdhe Nuhiu (Sheffield Wednesday) is shown the yellow card for excessive celebration.
Goal!
Goal! Sheffield Wednesday 1, Middlesbrough 0. Atdhe Nuhiu (Sheffield Wednesday) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Dismissal
Dean Whitehead (Middlesbrough) is shown the red card.
Post update
Penalty conceded by Dean Whitehead (Middlesbrough) with a hand ball in the penalty area.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Leon Best (Sheffield Wednesday) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
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Jermaine Johnson (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Kei Kamara (Middlesbrough).
Post update
Offside, Middlesbrough. Dean Whitehead tries a through ball, but Kei Kamara is caught offside.
Post update
Sam Hutchinson (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Nathaniel Chalobah (Middlesbrough).
Post update
Foul by Emmanuel Jorge Ledesma (Middlesbrough).
Post update
Foul by Jermaine Johnson (Sheffield Wednesday).
