Full-time: Sheffield Wednesday 2 Middlesbrough 0

MIDDLESBROUGH missed an opportunity to go top of the Championship after losing 2-0 at Sheffield Wednesday.

Atdhe Nuhiu’s 52nd minute penalty gave the Owls the lead at Hillsborough and Will Keane doubled their advantage two minutes later.

The Teessiders went close through Patrick Bamford and Kike, but Aitor Karanka’s men failed to take advantage of Derby’s 2-0 defeat at Fulham.

They remain second in the table, but the gap to Watford in third is down to a point after the Hornets' win at Leeds United.

Aitor Karanka made five changes to his line-up for the game at Hillsborough, choosing to leave out captain Grant Leadbitter along with George Friend and Lee Tomlin.

In the third minute the Teessiders had a penalty appeal turned down when Albert Adomah went down under a challenge from Claude Dielna.

Refereee Stephen Martin waved away their protests but the Teessiders struggled to create chances to take the lead.

Buoyed their win at Millwall midweek Gray’s men looked full of confidence and Nuhiu made his presence felt among the Boro back line as he linked up well with Keane, who nodded a header inches over in the 25th minute.

Boro and Wednesday boast the best defensive records in the Championship and that was clear with both sides cancelling each other out in an uneventful first period.

After the break Wednesday took control and with 52 minutes gone they were handed an opportunity to take the lead.

Kenneth Omeruo was adjudged to have handled inside the area and Nuhiu made no mistake firing his spot kick beyond Dimi Konstantopoulos.

The Owls doubled their advantage two minutes later when Keane nodded home after Nuhiu’s effort came back off the post.

Tempers flared in the closing stages when Jose Semedo and Leadbitter were involved in a scuffle as Boro were about to take a free-kick with suggestions that the Wednesday man spat in his opponent's face.

Boro’s best chance to pull one back came when Bamford played in Kike, but Liam Palmer made a superb last-ditch challenge to keep the Spaniard out.

Sheffield Wednesday (4-4-2): Westwood; Palmer, Lees, Zayatte, Dielna; Lee (Hutchinson, 57), Semedo, McGugan (Maguire, 82), Maghoma; Nuhiu, Keane (May, 87).

Not used: Kirkland, Mattock, Helan, Vermijl.

Middlesbrough (3-5-2): Konstantopoulos; Kalas, Omeruo (Leadbitter, 58), Gibson; Adomah, Forshaw (Wildschut, 72), Whitehead (Tomlin, 58), Clayton, Husband; Kike, Bamford.

Subs: Ripley, Friend, Nsue, Woodgate.