Tranmere Rovers 1 Sheffield Wednesday 2: Lowe the hero as Owls maintain automatic promotion campaign

Owls manager Gary Megson enthused: “I think it’s as hard a three points as we’re going to earn all season.

“That was a really tough, tough game. We fully deserved it as we took the game to them in the second half.

“We needed to make sure in trying to win it that we didn’t chuck it away and the goal we conceded was poor.”

Tranmere had taken a 38th-minute lead when Jose Baxter tricked Chris Lines on the edge of the area and his deflected shot deceived Stephen Bywater and went into the bottom-left corner.

Wednesday were level before the break thanks to Lines and Ryan Lowe then climbed off the bench to net an 80th-minute winner for the visitors.

Lines scored his second goal in two games when he struck a low volley from outside of the area in the first minute of first-half stoppage time.

Andy Robinson and Baxter went close for Tranmere but substitute Lowe, who had replaced Gary Madine at the break, secured victory.

On-loan Stoke City winger Ben Marshall, whose runs and crosses had been a threat to Tranmere throughout the second half, delivered a high ball from the right.

Jones, at the far post, knocked it back across goal and Lowe headed home for his second goal for the club.

It was the second away league game running in which Lowe has hit Wednesday’s winning goal.

The Owls had been hit pre-match when right-back Lewis Buxton withdrew with a hamstring injury.

Tranmere Rovers: Fon Williams, Raven, Taylor, Goodison, Buchanan, Weir (Labadie 85), Welsh, Robinson (Devaney 82), Baxter, Akins, Tiryaki (McGurk 68). Unused substitutes: Coughlin, McChrystal.

Sheffield Wednesday: Bywater, Semedo, Batth, Rob Jones, Reda Johnson, Palmer, O’Connor, Lines, Marshall (Bennett 87), Madine (Lowe 46),O’Grady. Unused substitutes: O’Donnell, Prutton, Morrison.

Referee: R East (Wiltshire).

Man of the match: Ben Marshall.