Two extraordinary red cards, a dozen chances and a missed penalty lit up a gripping contest but cannot alter one unassailable fact: the match was won by a touch of class.
There were five opponents between Steve Watson and the goal when he lobbed the ball home from at least 25 yards.
If others had shown that kind of precision that we would also have been looking at one of the highest-scoring games in all-Sheffield rivalry. But this was memorable enough as it was.
Firstly, Wednesday were much the better side when it was 11 against 11. Their football was slick and full of commitment even before they created the first chance, in the 17th minute.
James O'Connor, who was outstanding in this period, played a perfect pass to Jermaine Johnson for an imperfect finish, a shot into the stand from 10 yards.
For all the Owls' Wednesday's early dominance it was Lee Grant who had to make the first save: getting down sharply to his left to push away a deflected effort from Brian Howard.
Then came the biggest controversy: the sending-off. In the moments after Matthew Kilgallon had run towards Sean McAllister and caught him a bit late, it never occurred to me that he would get a red card. It should surely only have been a yellow.
The defender dealt the midfielder a glancing blow with a high foot but there appeared to be no wicked intent.
Five minutes after that terribly harsh 27th-minute decision, United should have scored. Ugo Ehiogu was allowed a free header from a Howard free-kick and sent it over the bar.
Three minutes after that. the goal arrived. Paddy Kenny came for a ball that did not appear to be his and Chris Morgan - on as a sub to replace Kilgallon at centre-half - saw his header go straight to Watson. The ball sailed back over a stranded Kenny. Angry words followed between defender and keeper.
The injustice of the sending-off seemed to gave United a cause to fight for, but maybe Wednesday eased off mentally just a fraction, or had their rhythm disrupted by having to play against a 4-3-2 formation.
Whatever the reason, the Owls were to grow increasingly uncomfortable against the 10 men but they still should have had the game sewn up, with three chances in the last five minutes of the half.
Mark Beevers rose to a right-side free-kick from Watson and glanced his free header wide from eight yards.
O'Connor missed the target from a good ball by Johnson, and a minute later the winger shot wildly over the bar when he ought to have slid a pass to the unmarked Tony McMahon.
There could be no argument about the penalty decision, 10 minutes into the second half. O'Connor, cutting inside after taking pass from Spurr, was brought down by Gary Speed.
Burton, looking for his first goal of the season, drove the ball hard and low to Kenny's right and the keeper beat it away. Another talking point - the keeper was off his line and a retake should have been ordered.
Then Wednesdayites held their breath as Beattie soared at the far post for a Howard cross. He headed it over the bar.
Two minutes later it was Tudgay's turn to miss the target as he nodded an O'Connor corner wide.
Apart from the goal, perhaps the biggest cheer of the afternoon greeted the long-awaited return of Akpo Sodje. It also meant the withdrawal of Johnson, who seemed to be showing his displeasure with the decision when he kicked a water bottle as he walked off.
Owls assistant manager Russ Wilcox reprimanded the winger with a push.
There soon followed a four-minute hold-up while fourth official Stuart Atwell informed Mike Dean and the ref then spoke to Laws and called for Johnson to be fetched back from the dressing room.
A second yellow card, for unsporting behaviour, was added to an earlier one for a foul, so Johnson ended up with a red card after he had already left the pitch.
What an enigma the winger is. Fans love him because his pace is exciting. But often there is no end product because of the lack of composure that also, this time, has landed him with a one-match ban.
Earlier he was in the TV spotlight for seemingly raising an arm in a challenge with Kyle Naughton. I thought this was just an accident.
Blackwell felt there were naughty challenges - Howard came off with an eye injury - but I must say I can't recall seeing a malicious one in the whole of the game.
United pressed for a late equaliser. A mistake by Richard Wood in the centre circle allowed Stokes to break away; the sub teed up a shot for Beattie and he smacked it wide from 18 yardes.
Stokes made an even better opportunity for Speed in the 84th minute. Maybe the ball was slightly behind the midfielder but he missed it when he still should have scored.
Wednesday had created marginally more opportunities than United, on the whole, but endured another scare in six minutes of stoppage time. Grant held the ball for too long and was penalised for time-wasting. An indirect free-kick a yard inside the box was touched to Stokes and he hit the wall.
Kenny joined in by going up for a corner. So when the ball ended up in Grant's hands he nearly had half a chance of scoring in the empty net at the far end.
A goal by either keeper would just have topped an amazing match.
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