Second-half goals from Ivan Azon and Jack Clarke, from the penalty spot, saw Town to a 2-0 victory over League One-bound Sheffield Wednesday. The Blues, who are back up to third, made heavy weather of beating the Championship’s rock-bottom side, sub Azon opening the scoring in the 78th minute, then Clarke netting the second five minutes later having been fouled himself.

Town made five changes from the team which drew 3-3 at Stoke City, while Jaden Philogene returned to the bench for the first time since suffering his MCL injury in mid-January.

Ben Johnson came in for the suspended Leif Davis at left-back and Jacob Greaves took over from Cedric Kipre, also banned, at left centre-half.

Dan Neil replaced Jack Taylor in midfield alongside Azor Matusiwa, who was considered OK to start despite being subbed with a hamstring injury at Stoke on Tuesday.

Sindre Walle Egeli came back wide on the right and ex-Owl George Hirst, whose father David is a legend at Hillsborough, was at centre-forward with Wes Burns and Ivan Azon dropping to the bench alongside Taylor, Philogene and Elkan Baggott, among the subs for the first team for the second time this season.

Sheffield Wednesday, already consigned to League One for next season, made one change from the team which drew 1-1 at home to Watford on Tuesday with former Blues loanee Dominic Iorfa coming into the defence.

Nathaniel Chalobah, brother of one-time Town loanee Trevoh, was back on the bench after injury.

The Blues threatened for the first time in the eighth minute, Neil playing in Hirst on the left of the area, but the striker’s shot was blocked and diverted out for a corner by Gabriel Otegbayo.

Three minutes later, following a long spell of Town possession, Clarke shot low through to Wednesday keeper Pierce Charles.

On 13, Mehmeti twisted and turned to work himself space on the edge of the area before hitting a well-struck low effort which Charles saved but couldn’t hold onto. The Blues kept the ball in the final third and Matusiwa hit a shot which was blocked but almost fell loose in the area.

As the game reached the quarter-hour mark with the Blues still in total control, Mehmeti was found in space on the edge of the area but the Albanian’s strike was blocked by Otegbayo.

The Owls saw more of the ball for a spell but without threatening, Jarvis Thornton crossing behind Christian Walton’s goal in the 25th minute.

The game became very flat before the Blues’ fans tried to inject some noise into a pre-season-like atmosphere, then Matusiwa burst forward with the ball through a number of players on halfway to inject some excitement.

In the 34th minute, Town might have gone in front, Neil playing a delightful ball over the top for Mehmeti, who had managed to get behind the Owls backline and stay onside but the former Bristol City man was unable to take it down over his shoulder. A minute later, Walle Egeli shot against home skipper Liam Palmer.

Two minutes later, Sean Fusire struck the Owls’ first effort of the game, but Walton was able to claim without too much trouble.

The Blues might have opened the scoring in the 39th minute, Neil hitting a shot from the 18-yard line which Charles parried out to his left. Walle Egeli was first to it but from a tight angle missed the target when he will feel he should have done better, Town eventually winning a fortuitous corner on the left.

From the flag-kick, Darnell Furlong wasn’t far away from his first Town goal, the right-back rising high to send a header towards the top corner, however, Svante Ingelsson nodded off the line.

Just before the fourth official indicated an additional minute, Clarke found himself in space well into the area but was unable to get the ball properly under control as he held off his man and it ran harmlessly through to Charles.

A third lacklustre first half in a row from Town, who had dominated against the already relegated Owls, but while rarely looking likely to break the deadlock, Furlong having gone closest with his header with Neil and Clarke having forced Charles to make saves but none above the routine, while Walle Egeli ought to have made more of his rebound opportunity. at the other end, Wednesday had shown little danger.

Town swapped Walle Egeli for Burns ahead of the second half, the Norwegian not having made the most of opportunities to run at his defender in the first period.

Five minutes after the restart, the Owls were lucky to still have 11 men on the pitch after Thornton threw himself into Greaves’s ankles two-footed with the ball long gone 15 yards outside the area. Referee Tom Reeves showed only a yellow and the Blues wasted the free-kick, Mehmeti finding skipper Dara O’Shea’s head but with the Irishman having strayed offside.

Fusire was booked for taking too long over a throw-in in the 54th minute with the second half having begun in the same manner that the first had ended.

Three minutes later, Burns and Tayo Adaramola were both yellow-carded for a brief spat after the Owls’ left wing-back had held back the Wales international as he looked to break down the right looking for a pass, the winger then having thrown the defender to the ground.

The home fans began to make some noise, perhaps sensing the possibility of a second point in a few days with the Blues’ having shown little improvement since the break.

On 62, Wednesday won a corner on the left, Greaves cleared but the ball was sent back in and Otegbayo diverted it wide of Walton’s left post, injuring himself in the process.

Wednesday made their first change three minutes later, Ndala replacing Thornton, then Town made a triple switch, Hirst, who was booed by his old fans, Neil and Mehmeti making way for Azon, Taylor and Chuba Akpom.

In the 70th minute, a Town break was halted and Jerry Yates was played in on the right of the area by Jamal Lowe but Greaves slid in to make a vital challenge.

Four minutes later, the Blues were forced into their final change, Burns making way with a calf injury and Philogene made his long-awaited return. Clarke moved to the right as the former Aston Villa man took up his usual left-sided position.

Town wasted a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 75th minute when Taylor played Azon in on goal, the Spaniard beating the advancing Charles but sending the ball the wrong side of the keeper’s right post.

Three minutes later, the on-loan Como man atoned for his wastefulness. Johnson crossed right-footed from the left and Azon got ahead of his man to slam home from the edge of the six-yard box to the delight and relief of the Blues supporters behind the goal.

Wednesday swapped Lowe and Jaden Heskey for Chalobah and Devlan Moses as the game moved towards its final 10 minutes, then a minute later the Blues were awarded a penalty.

Clarke took the ball forward at the edge of the area when he was upended by Fusire, referee Reeves pointing straight to the spot.

Winger Clarke smashed his 13th goal of the season into the top corner to Charles’s left, his fifth penalty of the season, more than anyone else in the division.

Wednesday replaced Ingelsson and Yates for Marvelous Nakamba and Will Grainger ahead of six additional minutes.

A minute before the whistle, Taylor brought the ball forward in space down the middle but his powerful strike hit a defender.

The end was greeted by muted cheers by the Town support, the Blues having got there eventually but without having particularly impressed.

The first half in particular was flat, a worrying trend in recent games, but once again the subs made an impact, Azon opening the scoring with his fifth goal for the club, although the Spaniard should have scored his earlier chance, the Blues’ 17th league goal bagged by a substitute this season.

But a vital three points for the Blues - and third fourth double of the campaign - however it was achieved with results elsewhere going in their favour.

Town, who are back up to third with a game in hand on Coventry and Middlesbrough above them, were the only side in the top five to win, the Sky Blues having been beaten 2-1 at home by Southampton at lunchtime, Boro held 1-1 at the Riverside by Bristol City, next Saturday’s Portman Road visitors Millwall beaten 2-1 at home by Blackburn having had Zak Sturge sent off and Hull City defeated 3-0 at West Brom having been reduced to 10 men in the first half.

Further good news was that Matusiwa, Furlong and Mehmeti all avoided a 10th yellow card with 15 now leading to a suspension.

Sheffield Wednesday: Charles, Fusire, Palmer (c), Iorfa, Otegbayo, Adaramola, Heskey (Chalobah 80), Thornton (Ndala 65), Ingelsson (Nakamba 90), Lowe (Moses 80), Yates (Grainger 90). Unused: Stretch, McGhee, Emery, Johnson.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Johnson, Matusiwa, Neil (Taylor 66), Walle Egeli (Burns 46 (Philogene 74)), Mehmeti (Akpom 66), J Clarke, Hirst (Azon 66). Unused: Palmer, Baggott, Cajuste, McAteer. Referee: Tom Reeves (Birmingham). Att: 23,437.

Photo: Matchday Images