Video - Sheffield Wednesday 2 Blackburn Rovers 1: Dejphon Chansiri's target could be hit ahead of schedule

Rovers were the visitors to Hillsborough for the Thai businessman’s first official match as Sheffield Wednesday owner on March 4, 2015 following his unveiling two days earlier after the completion of his £37.5m buyout.

The top flight seemed a distant apparition back then, reinforced by a 2-1 loss to Rovers. It is a great deal closer just over 12 months on.

So much so that Chansiri’s mission of restoring the Owls to the top table of English football by the club’s 150th centenary season in 2017 could even be completed ahead of schedule.

The same scoreline transpired last night, but this time in the hosts’ favour. Not thatit was straightforward, with patience required before fifth-placed Owls posted a fourth successive Championship win for the first time in this campaign.

Heading into the game with the best goals for tally of any Championship side in the second half of games, and the best at home, Wednesday added two more to boost those particular statistics.

But they were indebted to a dual piece of Blackburn assistance, first when Adam Henley diverted Ross Wallace’s cross into his own net six minutes after the interval to cancel out Craig Conway’s opener moments into the second period.

Conway turned from the proverbial hero to zero in the space of seven minutes as he received his marching orders after a reckless high challenge on Alex Lopez on 53 minutes as the game turned inexorably.

Wednesday cashed in just after the hour mark courtesy of Wallace’s clinical fourth goal of the season and that was pretty much that on a night when they moved five points clear of seventh-placed Cardiff City.

It was somewhat less straightforward in a first half of frustration for the Owls, with Blackburn defending adeptly and in numbers, with the hosts failing to penetrate and falling into the trap of being over-intricate at times.

No truly worthy chances transpired, with just two moments of danger arriving.

The first saw Gary Hooper briefly give Grant Hanley the slip after latching onto Jack Hunt’s cross, but his close-range effort was saved by Jason Steele.

The Rovers goalkeeper then unconvincingly gathered a speculative shot from distance from Alex Lopez at the second attempt in the build-up to the break.

At the other end, Rovers’ sole moment of meaningful threat arrived 20 minutes in and it proved a fateful one for Glenn Loovens, who made an excellent block to divert a goalbound shot from ex-Wednesday loanee Ben Marshall.

But it came at a price, with the Owls’ captain hurt in the process and, despite endeavouring to carry on, he soon succumbed and was replaced by Vincent Sasso.

After a low-key first half on the offensive front, Rovers burst into life within 30 seconds of the restart to score an excellent opener.

Brian Lenihan’s tempting cross on the right was latched onto by Conway, who nipped in front of Hunt before steering home a pinpoint header past Keiren Westwood.

The goal compounded what was shaping up to be a forgettable evening for the Owls, only for fates to swing dramatically in their favour in the space of two minutes not too long after.

The first development yielded an equaliser with the ball finding its way to Wallace, whose cross took a huge deflection off the unfortunate Henley and looped over the helpless Steele.

It was a timely boost for the Owls, with Blackburn’s game plan ripped to shreds soon after when Conway received a straight red card for a poor challenge on Lopez.

Wednesday made the most of their numerical advantage and produced a classy strike to take the lead on 62 minutes.

Hitherto quiet, Fernando Forestieri produced quality when it mattered with some nibble footwork on the left before cutting the ball back in sublime fashion to Wallace, whose low finish was emphatic, with the goal most definitely his this time around.

Daniel Pudil and Forestieri had chances to add to the hosts’ advantage while a last-ditch Elliott Ward challenge denied Joao.

Substitute Aiden McGeady almost added a third in stoppage-time with a well-struck shot which cannoned off the crossbar, but two goals in the event proved enough as the Owls secured their 12th home win of the campaign – their best tally at this level since 1991-92.

Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood; Hunt, Lees, Loovens (Sasso 26), Pudil; Wallace (McGeady 77), Lee, Lopez; Forestieri (Nuhiu 80), Hooper, Joao. Substitutes unused: Wildsmith, Palmer, Matias, McGugan.

Blackburn Rovers: Steele; Marshall, Ward, Hanley, Ward, Henley; Gomez (Akpan 72), Lenihan (Jackson 84), Grimes, Conway; Bennett (Brown 77); Graham. Substitutes unused: Raya, Kilgallon, Lowe, Williamson.

Referee: D Webb (Co.Durham).