Morgan Whittaker’s early goal at a near-empty Hillsborough sealed Middlesbrough a 1-0 win against bottom club Sheffield Wednesday and lifted them to within a point of Championship leaders Coventry.

Whittaker struck for the second game running in the sixth minute and that proved enough for Rob Edwards’ side, who should have won by a wider margin and had a stonewall penalty turned down.

Wednesday remain winless in six home league games this season after slipping to their third straight defeat.

There was a minute’s applause before kick-off for former Owls owner Milan Mandaric, who died earlier this month aged 87.

Mandaric sold the club after five years at the helm in 2015 to current owner Dejphon Chansiri, whose own tenure has descended into chaos.

Owls fans stepped up their protest against the Thai businessman – amid reports of a pending winding-up order for an unpaid tax bill – by boycotting the game in their thousands.

Row upon row of empty seats on three sides of the stadium were in stark contrast to the sold-out away end, which was soon bouncing in celebration after Whittaker swept home Delano Burgzorg’s low cross in the sixth minute.

Owls defender Dominic Iorfa made a crucial block to deny Whittaker at the near post soon after and with Wednesday all at sea, Tommy Conway fired off target from another Burgzorg cross.

Boro were denied what appeared to be a clear penalty in the 26th minute when Owls goalkeeper Joe Lumley – drafted in on an emergency seven-day loan from Bristol City on Tuesday – clattered into Conway inside the area.

But Lumley, a stand-in for the suspended Evan Horvath and making his debut against his former club, was given a huge let-off as referee Thomas Kirk misjudged the incident and waved play on.

The high-flying visitors should have wrapped the game up before half-time.

Conway headed off target and, after Hayden Hackney had fired wide, the Scotland forward was denied by Lumley before the goalkeeper made an even better save to keep out Burgzorg’s stinging effort.

Wednesday were vastly improved after the restart, with Boro goalkeeper Sol Brynn making fine saves to keep out Iorfa’s deflected header and Svante Ingelsson’s shot.

But Boro regrouped and went back on the offensive. Whittaker and then Alan Browne were thwarted by Lumley, whose brilliant effort to tip over the latter’s volley is a contender for save of the season.

Lumley produced another sprawling save in a one-on-one with substitute Kaly Sene in the closing stages as Boro notched their third league win on the road this season.

The managers

Sheffield Wednesday’s Henrik Pedersen:

“First of all, we played against a great Middlesbrough team. Rob is doing a fantastic job. They’re well organised with clear playing philosophy.

“But as I said to the players in the dressing room afterwards, we played against a top team, but we could compete with them.

“We all know how Hillsborough can be, it’s fantastic and of course, it’s painful to see this tonight, but I understand and I respect everyone.

“As I said before the game, I know all the fans sitting at home, they’re sitting in the pubs and they’re all together with us and we’re all together.

“And this togetherness – we just have to keep going. I have the biggest respect for everyone.”

Middlesbrough’s Rob Edwards:

“We didn’t get the second goal. I think we had numerous chances and because we didn’t (convert them) and we didn’t get the penalty, it gave them belief.

“This (Wednesday) team, you know, they’ve got something about them and they don’t give in, because everything’s going on at the moment.

“Maybe, if any team could have an excuse to go under, it could be them, but they don’t and they showed a lot of fighting resilience. It was never going to be easy.

“But if we’d have been slightly more clinical – and I don’t want to sound disrespectful – I do think we should have had two or three more, I really do.”