Middlesbrough maintained their early season momentum with an accomplished victory Coca-Cola Championship victory at Hillsborough.

Boro needed an own goal from Darren Purse to cancel out home striker Luke Varney's stunning early opener, before second-half goals from Frenchman Jeremie Aliadiere and roving winger Adam Johnson lifted Gareth Southgate's side into the top two.

Once Aliadiere had fired his third goal in two matches to give Southgate's side the lead early in the second half there seemed little doubt as to the outcome.

And Johnson underlined the visitors' extra class with a brilliant 84th-minute finish to secure Boro's fifth league win from seven matches.

The Owls' second defeat and first at home this season has halted their early promise, but manager Brian Laws will take solace from the fact his side will not face many better than Boro for the rest of the campaign.

The only change to Wednesday's starting line-up saw Mark Beevers step in for Richard Wood (groin) at centre-half, while Aliadiere's two goals for Middlesbrough against Ipswich on Saturday earned the Frenchman a recall at the expense of summer signing Leroy Lita. Injured Boro full-back Andrew Taylor was replaced by Jonathan Grounds.

The travelling Boro faithful, in good voice prior to kick-off, were silenced in the second minute when Varney smashed home the opener.

The Derby striker, in his second spell on loan at Hillsborough, raced onto Darren Potter's long ball down the left, cut inside flat-footed defender Seb Hines and thumped home a rising angled shot from just inside the penalty area in off the crossbar.

But the decibels were cranked up in the visiting end in the 19th minute when the Teessiders levelled in fortuitous circumstances.

Adam Johnson, who had already shown glimpses of why Boro should not miss Stuart Downing this season, whipped in a curling cross and the ball spun beyond Owls goalkeeper Lee Grant after taking the clearest of deflections off captain Purse's head.

Wednesday were dealt a blow just before the interval when Beevers was carried off on a stretcher following a collision with his goalkeeper. Richard Hinds stepped off the bench to replace him.

The home side were sent reeling again three minutes after the restart.

Dutch striker Marvin Emnes collected the ball midway inside the Owls' half and sent a slide-rule pass inside Hinds and into the path of Aliadiere, who clipped a measured finish over the stranded Grant.

Johnson's drive a minute later brought the best out of Grant, low down to his right and from the subsequent corner the home keeper flew high to his left to keep out Hines' bouncing goalbound header.

Wednesday huffed and puffed to get back on terms, but faltered in the final third and it was no surprise when the impressive Johnson pounced in the penalty area to bury a low venomous shot into the bottom corner with six minutes remaining.

Sheff Wed (1) 1 Middlesbrough (1) 3

Sheff Wed Grant, Buxton, Purse, Beevers (Hinds 45), Spurr, Johnson, Miller (McAllister 71), Potter, Gray (Clarke 72),Tudgay, Varney.

Subs Not Used: O'Donnell, Sodje, Esajas, Simek.

Goals: Varney 2.

Middlesbrough Coyne, McMahon (St. Ledger 82), Grounds, Wheater, Hines, Williams, Adam Johnson, Arca, O'Neil (Hoyte 90), Aliadiere, Emnes (Lita 71).

Subs Not Used: Jones, Yeates, Bennett, Franks.

Booked: Aliadiere, Hines.

Goals: Purse 19 og, Aliadiere 49, Adam Johnson 85.

Att: 21,722

Ref: Tony Bates (Staffordshire).