Wednesday bounced back from conceding an early goal to produce a gutsy performance in a 1-0 home defeat to promotion-chasing Middlesbrough this evening.

With thousands of Wednesday fans boycotting the game in protest at owner Dejphon Chansiri it meant a strange atmosphere at S6 with a sellout Boro crowd at one end of the ground and the other three sides sparsely populated to say the least.

We got off to just the start we didn’t want by going behind after just six minutes, Morgan Whittaker drilling a 15-yarder past emergency loan keeper Joe Lumley after Wednesday failed to cut out a low cross.

It might well have been 2-0 soon afterwards when Lumley took a heavy touch, Tommy Conway beat him to the loose ball and Lumley brought him down with a poor tackle, only for the referee to ignore appeals for an obvious Boro penalty.

However, Lumley redeemed himself before half time, with saves to deny Conway and Delano Burgzorg while Wednesday’s only real threat came when Svante Ingelsson saw his close-range effort saved.

We began the second half in more enterprising fashion, Dominic Iorfa’s header deflecting off a defender and forcing a save out of Boro keeper Sol Brynn.

On 52 minutes, Ingelsson’s fierce effort from 12 yards was kept out by Brynn and minutes later Ike Ugbo headed over at the far post.

Boro began to dominate again as the half unfolded and we had Lumley to thank for keeping the score at 1-0.

He saved from Whittaker and Conway in quick succession and then produced an excellent tipover save to foil Alan Browne just after the hour.

Despite being more of an attacking threat in the second half, we lacked the quality and cutting edge up front and the final word went to Lumley again as his diving save denied Kaly Sene.

The defeat leaves us bottom of the Championship and three points from safety.

Lumley, Fusire (Otegbayo 80) Palmer (McNeill 92), Iorfa, M Lowe, Amass, Valery, Ingelsson (Cadamarteri 70), Bannan, J Lowe, Ugbo. Unused subs: Stretch, Emery, McGhee, Johnson, Thornton, Fernandes.