Doomed Sheffield Wednesday hammered Europe-bound Leicester at Hillsborough today to ensure they went down to Division One with their pride intact.

Five days after their heroic attempt to extend their Premiership execution by drawing with Arsenal at Highbury, Peter Shreeves' men played Leicester off the park and gave a massive boost to their caretaker boss's chances of taking the post full-time.

Leicester were lethargic and dazed as Wednesday brushed aside their customary slow start to hit two goals in each half.

Young striker Alan Quinn, one of their brightest sparks in a dark season, opened their scoring in the 14th minute after dribbling into the box and firing under visiting goalkeeper Pegguy Arphexad.

Four minutes from half-time Andy Booth fired home a powerful header from Niclas Alexandersson's pin-point cross.

And the Owls continued to put the Foxes to flight straight after the break. Alexandersson controlled a Gilles De Bilde cross and smashed in number three after 48 minutes.

Thirteen minutes later De Bilde was at the centre of the action again when he burst through the Leicester rearguard to chase down Booth's header and shoot across Arphexad and into the net off the post.

While Leicester wilted, Wednesday simply did everything they have failed to do all season.

It was hard to believe this was largely the same side which had stumbled to Christmas, cut adrift at the bottom with just six points to their name.

Beleaguered foreign stars like De Bilde, Alexandersson and Wim Jonk ensured their side functioned cohesively as a unit. Booth and Quinn chased and won almost everything up front.

The supporters who had told their players they "weren't fit to wear the shirt" at Coventry little more than a week ago danced around the vast stadium with joy and gave every substitute a standing ovation.

It was the turn of the Leicester fans, with a rich if unintentional irony given the events at Hillsborough over the course of the last seven months, to boo their side off at the break.

Leicester's chances dried up after seven minutes. They consisted of an Andy Impey right-wing cross which Kevin Pressman held well under pressure from Darren Eadie, and Muzzy Izzet firing over from 25 yards.

Tony Cottee did put the ball in the net two minutes after the interval but was helped by such an obvious handball while under pressure from Pressman that all he won was a stern lecture from referee David Elleray.

Wednesday should have had a hatful. They looked like scoring every time they surged over the halfway line.

De Bilde fired inches wide; Booth was even closer with a header from Ian Nolan's cross; Jonk lobbed over the bar just before the half-hour mark.

And long before the end of the game Wednesday's followers were beginning to wonder just how a side so convincing today in every department was playing their last game in English football's top drawer.

Martin O'Neill's over-achievers will dust themselves down after a rollicking from their boss and build up to another season in the sun next year - with the added spice of a little UEFA Cup glamour.

For Wednesday, for now, it's goodbye to all that.

Teams:

Sheff Wed: Pressman, Nolan, Atherton, Walker (Haslam 77), Hinchcliffe, Alexandersson (Sonner 68), Jonk, Horne (Cresswell 86), Quinn, Booth, De Bilde.

Subs Not Used: Sibon, Srnicek.

Goals: Quinn 14, Booth 40, Alexandersson 49, De Bilde 61.

Leicester: Arphexad, Sinclair, Elliott, Gilchrist (Walsh 46), Impey (Oakes 46), Lennon, Izzet, Savage, Guppy, Cottee (Marshall 69), Eadie.

Subs Not Used: Price, Zagorakis.

Att: 21,656

Ref: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).