Sheffield Wednesday substitute Anthony Musaba scrambled home an 89th-minute winner as Middlesbrough’s Sky Bet Championship play-off hopes were dented by a damaging 2-1 loss at Hillsborough.
Michael Carrick’s men were on course to climb into the top six following Finn Azaz’s 11th-minute opener in rain-soaked South Yorkshire.
But Josh Windass equalised early in the second half before Musaba earned Wednesday a first home success since New Year’s Day at the death.
Boro blew a big chance to double their advantage when Tommy Conway’s penalty was saved by Owls goalkeeper Pierce Charles in the 22nd minute.
Middlesbrough were held to a draw at Sheffield Wednesday as their play-off push stalled
Victory would have lifted the visitors to sixth place on goal difference, but they remain three points adrift of Coventry, who were beaten at relegation-threatened Plymouth, with only two games to go.
Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick stuck with the starting XI which began Friday’s last-gasp 2-1 win over Plymouth, while Wednesday boss Danny Rohl made four changes from a limp 2-0 loss at Stoke.
Recalled Owls captain Barry Bannan tested visiting keeper Mark Travers during a relatively bright start from the hosts before Boro snatched an 11th-minute lead.
Wednesday defender Marvin Johnson lost possession deep inside his own half and Morgan Whittaker, Tommy Conway and Hayden Hackney combined to slip in Azaz, who poked into the bottom right corner.
Boro were handed the chance for a second when Hackney waltzed through the Wednesday defence before he was adjudged to have been bundled over in the box by Svante Ingelsson.
Having claimed his side’s late winner from the spot against the Pilgrims, Conway again stepped up, only to see Charles, who gifted Stoke a second goal three days ago, produce a fine double save.
Wednesday’s own hopes of sneaking into the play-offs were emphatically derailed during a miserable month which brought just two points from a possible 18 amid players temporarily going unpaid, speculation about the future of head coach Rohl and ongoing supporter protests against chairman Dejphon Chansiri.
Owls forward Windass saw a free-kick pushed away by Travers and then smashed narrowly wide of the left post as the hosts pushed for a first-half leveller.
Charles again came to Wednesday’s rescue in the 45th minute, repelling a powerful, low effort from Marcus Forss following a sloppy pass from Bannan.
Windass forced another save out of Travers early in the second period before equalising in the 54th minute.
After Michael Smith headed against the left post from Callum Paterson’s cross, Ingelsson’s scuffed shot across goal was diverted home from close range by the stretching Windass.
Conway threatened to restore Boro’s lead when Rav van den Berg headed an Azaz corner goalward, but they also looked shaky in defence.
Travers again saved from Windass before unmarked Owls centre-back Gabriel Otegbayo somehow headed wide from a Paterson cross.
Wednesday remained the greater threat and were rewarded a minute from time.
Paterson’s low cross caused chaos in the Boro box and Musaba, a half-time replacement, was on hand to force the ball into the bottom right corner and secure the Owls’ first win on home soil in nine games.
In a dramatic finish, Charles produced a superb save to deny Delano Burgzorg an equaliser before Conway rattled the crossbar with the rebound.
The managers
Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl:
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Middlesbrough’s Michael Carrick:
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