Leicester City 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1: Pride in defeat as outstanding fans lead defiance

They lost – of course they did with the cards stacked so heavily against them – but only after a show of pride on and off the pitch.

It took Leicester City until the 88th minute to lead against a team minus its two starting midfielders – their injured goalscorer and their captain, who had been sent off.

But there was no shame whatsoever in a 2-1 defeat.

After disaster upon footballing disaster caused by owner/chairman Dejphon Chansiri the people clubs are really about – the supporters – showed their class.

There were only a smattering in the away corner when the players emerged for kick-off, although those in white – with the iconic Wednesday owl restored to their shirts – made a beeline to show their appreciation, deliberately positioning their pre-match huddle close to them.

You could tell they were about, though – they left a big banner saying "SWFC for sale – enough is enough" and even paid for a plane to fly overhead trailing a banner simply saying: "Dejphon Chansiri out."

The team did not wait to see them all before being inspired, forcing two early corners, and Pierce Charles pushing a Luke Thomas shot wide.

After five minutes they flooded in to applause from the rest of the ground.

Many wore black or gold – until the club is sold – and all sang their hearts out – about skipper Barry Bannan, boyhood fan Liam Palmer, their "crazy" manager Henrik Pedersen, but most of all their beloved club and the villain running it into the ground from Thailand.

Rumour has it Shea Charles – last season's player of the year, on loan from Southampton and brother of Pierce – was in there, so they sang about him too: "Shea Charles is a Wednesdayite."

How they could have done with him out there, facing a team in last season's Premier League who had more internationals on their bench than the Owls had substitutes who had started in the Championship.

So inevitably after the visitors' fast start, their hosts took control.

Abdul Fatawu, their £17m winger, could not quite get enough curl on a free-kick, then shot at the keeper after nutmegging free transfer Svante Ingelsson. Jordan Ayew's effort was comfortably collected.

Bilal El Khannouss was narrowly wide at a corner conceded when Dominic Iorfa overplayed.

But Wednesday's spirit was as strong as the tackle Max Lowe thumped into, the noise echoing.

Nathaniel Chalobah had scuffed a ninth-minute shot against a post with the help of a touch from Jakub Stolarczyk.

In the 27th minute he arrived onto another pull-back as Wednesday pounced on scrappiness at the back and Yan Valery did brilliantly to get the ball over.

This time, with the aid of a deflection, Chalobah did find the net.

The players ran to their fans at the other end of the ground to celebrate.

Sadly, Chalobah departed injured minutes later, stretching resources almost as fragile as his body.

Jannik Vestergaard headed wide at a corner, El Khannouss – good enough to play for Morocco, not good enough to take a proper throw-in – had a shot blocked by Bannan's arm as he turned his back.

The second half was an onslaught, Vestergaard shooting over and an Ingelsson clearance bouncing jus wide off Valery.

In between time Bailey Cadamarteri broke down the left and shot over, but action at that end of the field got ever scarcer.

When Vestergaard equalised in the 54th minute, allowed to run free at El Khannouss’s low free-kick, the relentless chant from the away end never missed a beat.

Replays showed substitute Harry Winks in an offside position as he swung a boot at the ball.

On a hot afternoon, the sense of grievance would only grow.

Wednesday were unhappy both Valery and Gabirel Ogbeta were sent off the field after treatment rather than be allowed to defend a corner the Foxes fluffed.

Pedersen was angry at the confusion which saw Charlie McNeill sent back from the touchline as the Owls made a substitution. McNeill was none too chuffed to learn he was not coming on.

So you can imagine how they felt when Bannan got a second yellow card for diving into a tackle. His lifted boot did catch Winks on the thigh, though.

The EFL replaced Chansiri as public enemy No 1 in the stands.

Down to 10 men in the 76th minute with players who have not had a pre-season looking very ragged, it turned into Charles v Leicester.

An outstanding plunging save to keep out Patson Daka’s header was quickly followed by Wout Fase heading in a corner.

But Ayew, three times, and El Khannouss were denied a third by wonderful saves.

It was a defeat to be proud of, as the fans who stayed to applaud their players made very clear.

Leicester City: Stolarczyk; Justin (Daka 78), Okoli (Faes 69), Vestergaard, Thomas; Skipp, Soumare; Fatawu (McAteer 78), Khannouss, Mavididi (Monga 69); Ayew. Unused substitutes: Faes, Nelson, Winks, Choudhury, Page, Begovic.

Sheffield Wednesday: Charles; Valery (Kobacki70), Otegbayo (Ugbo 90+5), Iorfa, M Lowe, Palmer; Ingelsson, Chalobah (Fusire 32), Bannan; J Lowe (McNeill 90+5), Cadamarteri. Unused substitutes: Shipston, Siqueira, Stretch, Johnson, Fernandes.

Referee: M Donohue (Greater Manchester).