The winger's first goal in almost six months made it maximum points so far in this important week for the Owls.

It came after Deon Burton, last Saturday's match-winner against QPR, kept up his own renaissance by bagging a crucial equaliser.

Brian Laws began with the side that sparked a transformation last Saturday... but it did not stop the Owls making a poor start, again.

Then they showed familiar resolve and endeavour in battling back to earn another deserved 2-1 win.

Wednesday will surely have to stop handing teams a goal start.

In the fourth minute last night they gave right winger Karl Duguid a bit too much space near the right corner of the box, he dragged a low ball across goal and it was forced home at the far post by striker Kevin Lisbie.

It could have got worse three minutes later: midfielder Johnnie Jackson ran in behind the Owls defence for a free shot that was held by Lee Grant.

With less than a quarter of an hour gone a third chance was made by the home team as Lisbie got away from Richard Wood down the left and teed up an 18-yard effort for Duguid: he clipped it wide.

With a swirling wind making the flight of the ball hard to judge, it was a difficult start all round for the Owls.

But the conditions were no bother to Deon Burton when he made it all square in the 18th minute.

Graham Kavanagh flighted a free kick diagonally into the box from the left and Burton, running in behind the defence, rose for a brave heaver to get there before the keeper's punch and bullet a header into the net for his seventh goal of the season.

Wednesday could have made it 2-1 almost straight away as they forced scrambles in the Colchester box and Richard Hinds, perhaps deceived by the ball in the wind, sent a header across goal instead of on target.

Small, who interchanged wings with Franck Songo'o, forced a competent catch from Dean Gerken with a firmly struck 25-yarder.

Songo'o was less eye-catching than in his seven-out-of-10 performance against QPR, but every member of the Owls side deserved top marks for effort.

After the equaliser Wednesday gained the upper hand and they needed a fine interception by Wood at the near post and a terrific recovery tackle from Kavanagh to keep danger at bay.

Then Small struck in the 44th minute.

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Sean McAllister touched a through ball into the path of the winger and he stole a yard on a defender as he scorched through the middle to drive a ground shot that hit the keeper, rose and carried into the net, for his fourth goal of the campaign.

Wednesday had to hold firm at the back when Colchester, with the wind at their backs, repeatedly launched the ball forward in the second half.

The Owls were the team who were trying to get the ball down and play – with Kavanagh usually sparking off their constructive efforts.

Moves often broke down around the edge of the Colchester box, with Wednesday at times just lacking that final ball.

They were good at making life hard for Colchester and at getting in blocks and headers. With 70 minutes gone, and with the wind easing, the Owls were looking pretty comfortable, then a scare came when a shot by Duguid took a deflection off a defender and dipped on to the top of the bar.

Hinds made a particularly impressive challenge in the box, so did Kavanagh before launching a counter-attack that should have led to Wednesday taking an impregnable position in the 79th minute.

Marcus Tudgay played Burton through against Gerken and the No 10 looked sure to score.

But his low shot was blocked by the keeper, and the ball bounced out, just too awkwardly for the striker to steer a reflex header on target.

There was just one more fright for Owls fans behind the goal and it came in stoppage time: sub Scott Vernon ran into the box between Mark Beevers and Tommy Spurr and went down. The ref got it spot on – no penalty.

It is only the second time this season that Wednesday have scored two consecutive wins: the other was in November when they saw off Plymouth away after a home victory against Blackpool.

Now they seem to be finding the knack of winning when it really matters.

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