Wednesday's search for league points will continue into mid-September after they lost out to an early goal from Bristol City's Brian Wilson.

The winner came with only four minutes played, a crisp drive from the edge of the box, and the Owls huffed and puffed but were unable to find the spark they needed to ignite their season.

Etienne Esajas turned in a pleasing display after being introduced as a second-half substitute but City defended solidly to keep Wednesday at bay and return south-west with all three points.

Wednesday shipped Wilson's early opener despite having carved out a great chance just moments before. Steve Watson bustled his way into the City area and cut the ball back only for Marcus Tudgay to slice his effort wide.

Not taking that opportunity haunted the Owls within 60 seconds as Wilson cracked in a low left-foot shot from the edge of the SWFC box from Lee Trundle's lay-off.

Tudgay sent a shot straight at Adriano Basso in response and no one got on the end of his backheel in the City danger zone soon afterwards. The ex-Derby striker went on to force Basso to save with a hooked effort from Burton O'Brien's flighted centre before Wilson hacked Tudgay's overhead kick off the line from the resulting Glenn Whelan corner.

Another Whelan corner-kick brought a downward header from Richard Wood which bounced up and was flipped over the top by Basso, as Wednesday maintained a period of sustained pressure.

However City began to stem the blue and white tide and make the task of creating openings much more difficult for the Owls. Ivan Sproule lashed a shot into the sidenetting having got away down the Wednesday right - a rare occasion on which the otherwise steady Frank Simek couldn't track back in time.

An enforced change at the break saw Richard Hinds make way for Lee Bullen after picking up a knock. A bizarre incident saw Bullen's clearance cannon off Sproule and fly just past the far post and with the Owls having made few inroads in the minutes after the re-start, Dutch new boy Esajas was called from the bench in place of O'Brien.

Jermaine Johnson couldn't keep his shot down after Deon Burton teed him up from Steve Watson's backflick, while the Owls defence did enough to put Trundle off after Rob Burch raced off his line somewhat rashly. Esajas' shot rocketed over the top, seemingly deflecting off Marvin Elliott despite the award of a goalkick.

But Wednesday rode their luck once more and were grateful that the Robins shot themselves in the foot, as Lee Johnson made a hash of an attempted dummy from Sproule's low ball into the box. The Owls almost made them pay with Wilson clearing off the line from Burton, after Wood's header from Esajas' corner was blocked. Then SWFC were denied a penalty when the officials spotted an apparent foul moments before another dangerous Esajas corner was handled.

Bullen tracked back well to rob Scott Murray as a series of lengthy City injuries frustrated the Owls fans. Esajas, very impressive on his Owls debut, almost lifted Basso off his feet as the Robins keeper got his body behind the former Vitesse Arnhem man's powerful attempt from Whelan's tapped free-kick. But there were no further glimmers for Wednesday despite four minutes of added time.