Ten-man Wednesday suffered last-gasp heartbreak at Hillsborough as promotion hopefuls West Brom stole all three points in controversial circumstances.

Referee Andy D'Urso took centre stage, sending off Jermaine Johnson for apparent use of the elbow in the second half to infuriate the home fans and boss Brian Laws. The Jamaican was seemingly hard done by after tangling with Baggies skipper Jonathan Greening, who was fortunate to escape with a caution.

Substitute Kevin Phillips then entered the fray and promptly sealed victory with a close range header deep into stoppage time.

Laws made two changes from the side that posted a creditable point at local rivals Barnsley on Saturday. Injured duo Peter Gilbert and Wade Small missed out and were replaced by Tommy Spurr and Johnson respectively. Former Wednesday winger Chris Brunt made his first return to Hillsborough since signing for West Brom during last summer's transfer window.

Wednesday made the early running and Spurr forced Dean Kiely into action after a rare strike from the returning defender. Greening almost sent the perfect throughball to debutant Luke Moore a minute later as West Brom made their first foray into the Owls' half but Lee Grant was out quickly to smother the danger.

The game then settled into an even affair with few chances until Robert Koren struck a screamer from the edge of the area that Grant did well to avert to safety.

Again there was a lull that stretched to eight minutes before half time when the best chance of the half fell to the visitors. Enoch Showunmi inadvertently headed Brunt's corner right into the path of Paul Robinson a yard behind the penalty spot but the defender screwed his shot wide with the Kop goal at his mercy.

The contest needed a lift during the second period and Graham Kavanagh provided just that moments after the resumption with a snapshot that flew narrowly wide following good work from Marcus Tudgay.

The visitors, though, were sparked into life and created two openings inside a minute. First Spurr saved his side with a tremendous last-ditch tackle as Moore was ready to pull the trigger ten yards out then Brunt fired over a trademark cross from the left that Roman Bednar was inches away from converting.

The Owls promptly flew straight up the other end of the field and could have stolen into the lead. Kavanagh fed Tudgay just outside the box and the striker's flick-on fell to Showunmi, whose low drive was turned away by Kiely for a corner.

Both managers had clearly instructed their teams to up the second half ante ante but Richard Wood was perhaps a little over zealous and his late challenge on Moore earned the stand-in skipper a yellow card.

Wednesday introduced Chelsea loan star Ben Sahar on 68 minutes - Burton O'Brien made way for the Israeli forward - as Laws pressed for the points but the next chance fell to the Baggies. Brunt's link-up with Moore saw the ball roll nicely into the path of the on-rushing Koren but the midfielder failed to find the target from 18 yards.

Sahar failed to get sufficent purchase on a half-chance inside the box before controversy took over 12 minutes from the end as Wednesday were reduced to ten men. Johnson entered into a tussle with Greening and after consulting with his assistant, referee D'Urso - who was at the centre of a contentious dismissal at the weekend at QPR - sent the winger for an early bath. Boss Laws protested, as did a string of his players, but to no avail and the Baggies went into the closing stages a man to the good.

And the Midlanders could and should have nicked their win on 89 minutes as Robinson's cross fell perfectly for substitute James Morrison but the midfielder's header was gratefully gobbled up by Grant. Amazingly, Morrison then had a better chance a minute later but Grant dived low to keep the ball out.

The visitors however were not to be denied and substitute Phillips climbed high to convert Morrison's cross with the last chance of the game a full five minutes into stoppage time.

Wednesday (4-4-2): Grant, Hinds, Beevers, Wood (c), Spurr, Johnson (sent off 78), Kavanagh, Bolder, O'Brien (Sahar 68), Showunmi, Tudgay

Unused subs: Burch, Wallwork, McAllister, Burton

WBA (4-4-2): Kiely, Hoefkens, Robinson, Barnett, Koren, Greening (c), Gera, Albrechtsen, Brunt (Morrison 85), Bednar (Miller 64), Moore (Phillips 75)

Unused subs: Danek, Martis

Referee: Andy D'Urso

Attendance: 18,805