Wednesday kept their play-off hopes alive by moving within two points of the top six after Steven MacLean's second-half winner sunk Coventry at Hillsborough.

MacLean came off the bench to strike a 70th minute clincher and cement a win that moved them within two points of sixth-placed Wolves. Marcus Tudgay had put the Owls into a first-half lead before Michael Mifsud blasted City level before the break.

But Brian Laws' men were not to be denied despite a forceful display from a Sky Blues outfit who took a battering against Preston last weekend, with MacLean claiming a fine winner.

Leon Clarke forced the first save of the afternoon although Andy Marshall did not have to extend himself too much to field the big striker's shot, after Tudgay nodded Steve Watson's raking pass into Clarke's feet.

But the Hillsborough crowd did not have long to celebrate an opening Owls goal. Tudgay was the man who did the damage, flicking the ball on to Deon Burton before peeling away to lash in the latter's lay-off with his left foot on 17 minutes. Unfortunately Tudgay was to depart just prior to the half-hour mark with a dead leg after a hefty midfield collision.

Wednesday fans had their hearts in their mouths when Iain Turner - making the last appearance of an impressive S6 loan stint - just managed to tip Stephen Hughes' free-kick for a corner, with ex-Blade Robert Page heading the resulting corner into the ground and over the top.

The ball was also pinballing around the Owls area soon afterwards with Richard Wood eventually hacking Dele Adebola's effort clear of the SWFC danger zone. But Wednesday were just inches from enjoying a break of fortune when Elliott Ward prodded Jermaine Johnson's cross barely a centimetre past his own post.

However Mifsud had been a constant thorn in the Owls' side and he cut them open in the 37th minute, dribbling inside from the left of the Wednesday box to rifle past Turner. Chris Brunt had Marshall scrambling to fist away a free-kick that swung in from the right before the end of an entertaining first half battle.

Wednesday had a massive let-off just shy of the hour point when Adebola rose to meet Jay Tabb's centre but planted his header an inch past the far stick with Turner beaten. The Owls suffered the loss of Burton midway through the half after an aerial collision left home with what looked like double vision.

MacLean had also been added to the attack at half-time in place of Clarke and the Scot was in the right place to send Hillsborough wild and restore Wednesday's lead with 20 minutes to go, driving in from around 15 yards after Brunt's shot was blocked by Marshall.

Glenn Whelan wasn't too far off with a first time effort when a Marshall clearance fell short of his intended distance but the Owls were pegged back by City as Iain Dowie's side pushed for a point, with Tommy Spurr making an excellent block from Kevin Kyle's pliedriver. Wednesday were lucky when Mifsud's low effort struck a post but they held on to stay with a chance of reaching the Premiership.

Wednesday: I Turner; Simek, Bullen, Wood, Spurr; Tudgay (Johnson 29), Whelan, Watson, Brunt; Burton (Gilbert 63), Clarke (MacLean 45).

Unused subs: Adamson, Lunt.

Coventry: Marshall; McNamee, Page, Ward, Hall; Osbourne, Davis (Thornton 72), Hughes, Tabb (Kyle 80); Adebola, Mifsud.

Unused subs: Steele, Birchall, B Turner.