Magpies' wings clipped: Owls finally show what they are capable of '“ Sheffield Wednesday 2 Newcastle United 1:

The celebrations may have been in full flow on the other side of the Steel City footballing divide by the time that Sheffield Wednesday took to the field amid inviting early-evening sunshine – but by the end of events at S6, there was plenty of delectation in the Owls camp as well.

It may not have produced a result which clinched promotion, but it proved an auspicious occasion, all the same.

Wednesday’s timing has not been great in an intermittent season. But it was perfectly synchronised on a Saturday night when they finally got serious against serious opponents at the season’s business end.

A significant performance of play-off standard yielded a first double over the Magpies since 1986-87 and it was considerably sweetened by the fact that the hosts had kicked off the game back outside of the play-off spots after Fulham’s win over Ipswich.

Further sugar-coating was provided by the reassuring sight of an Owls side getting over the line without arguably their two talismanic figures in Fernando Forestieri and Sam Hutchinson being involved.

A third key component in Jordan Rhodes also started from the bench, with another vital cog in Kieran Lee also missing.

Given all that, it is perhaps easy to see why Wednesdayites will be viewing Saturday’s victory as their best and most important of the campaign. They may have blitzed Norwich 5-1 and triumphed at St James Park’ – but doing the business against a big-hitter at crunch-time in April is something else entirely.

After powering to league wins in Yorkshire at Barnsley, Rotherham, Leeds and Huddersfield and having plenty of their own way too, Newcastle met their match to deny them a clean sweep of White Rose Championship away wins.

Rafael Benitez spoke afterwards about his side playing with their hearts and not their brains. The Owls, in marked contrast, played with both.

Smart second-half headers saw Tom Lees and Steven Fletcher outfox the Magpies backline and, despite a tense finale after the excellent Jonjo Shelvey got the goal that his performance deserved late on, the hosts were not to be moved.

It would be somewhat reprehensible if this performance of stature against a divisional super-power is wasted with five matches of the regular season to go.

It showed what the Owls are truly capable of.

Several leading lights may not have affected the action for the Owls, but their senior brigade on duty stepped up.

Gary Hooper, one of the link players whose absence has been regularly bemoaned by Carlos Carvalhal in recent months, produced a meaty contribution before fatigue took hold and further nourishment was provided by several others.

Among that number was Fletcher, who again dined out at Newcastle’s expense after providing some key contributions against them in Tyne-Wear derbies in his days with Sunderland.

Perhaps he should have been hailing more than a one-goal return after missing a couple of gilt-edged first-half chances.

Fletcher, who had netted a midweek double at Rotherham, said: “We knew the results before the game and knew we had to do our job and we did it.

“My record against Newcastle is not bad. It was at Sunderland where I used to score, but three points was the most important thing and I am glad we got that.

“I have missed a few chances in my career, so I knew I was going to get another one and as long as I took that, I would be happy and I am glad I got the goal in the end.”

Fletcher’s cathartic moment arrived on 68 minutes when his looping header sailed home.

Earlier, the Scot had fired wide with the goal at his mercy after a marvellous move before seeing Karl Darlow somehow deny him from close range.

The key component in both those chances was Hooper, who produced a seductive first-half show, although he did have a rival for majesty in the opposition ranks in the shape of Shelvey.

The Newcastle midfielder’s wonderfully outrageous shot from inside his own half moments before the break would have made David Beckham blush with Keiren Westwood – not exactly a country mile out of his goal – forced to backpedal helplessly before the woodwork saved him. Goal of the season? Try decade if that had gone in.

Earlier, the Owls were forced to bemoan the woodwork after Hooper’s cushioned volley struck the bar following Paul Dummett’s weak clearance – symptomatic of an evening when the usually well-regimented Magpies lacked conviction at the back.

Thankfully for their sakes, Fletcher proved wasteful in front of goal twice after super work by Hooper – although the visitors did have cause to rue one major development when Barry Bannan was hugely fortunate not to be dismissed for a high, studs-up challenge on Matt Ritchie.

On the restart, Newcastle looked more like a side boasting comfortably the best away record in the league, but Wednesday were not to be denied.

Westwood’s one-man crusade saw him save three goalbound efforts from Shelvey – the best of which came from a curling free-kick – and their importance was soon magnified.

A super flighted free-kick from Ross Wallace was attacked by Lees, who beat four visiting defenders to the ball to see his downward header fly past Darlow.

It got better when Fletcher proved too nifty for Jamaal Lascelles and splendidly headed in from Daniel Pudil’s long throw.

Though Shelvey fired home a late rebound after Westwood spilled Aleksandar Mitrovic’s volley to set up a kitchen-sink finale, the Owls held out.

Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood; Hunt, Lees, Loovens (Sasso 45), Pudil; Wallace (Semedo 73), Jones, Bannan, Reach; Hooper (Rhodes 58), Fletcher. Unused substitutes: Wildsmith, Winnall, Palmer, Forestieri.

Newcastle United: Darlow; Anita, Mbemba, Lascelles, Dummett; Ritchie (Mitrovic 78), Shelvey, Diame (Atsu 72), Gouffran; Perez, Gayle (Murphy 29). Unused substitutes: Elliot, Gamez, Haidara, Ameobi.

Referee: S Attwell (Warwicks).