Middlesbrough put a tumultuous week behind them to claim an impressive victory away to Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.
Adam Reach stabbed the visitors into the lead just before half time but a deflected strike from Marco Matias brought the scores level 20 minutes into the second half.
Boro hit back almost immediately on the break through loan star Diego Fabbrini, before Uruguay international Cristhian Stuani made the game safe in the final minutes.
Middlesbrough dominate first half
The visitors were in almost complete control of proceedings in the opening 45 minutes but it was Wednesday who had the first opportunity of the game with just two minutes played, Lucas João seeing a shot immediately blocked from close to the centre of the penalty area.
Soon, though Middlesbrough took control of proceedings with attacking midfield pair Stewart Downing and Fabbrini continuing their promising partnership in the final third of the pitch.
For all their intricate play, however, the opening goal should have come from a dead-ball situation. Adam Clayton delivered a ball in towards centre-half Danial Ayala who had a free header, but his effort from six yards was directed straight at goalkeeper Lewis Price.
Wednesday were frequently architects of their own downfall with defensive errors and sloppy passes in their own half allowing Boro to fashion a number of half chances, but they were unable to put a finishing touch to any of their early opportunities.
Visitors eventually find the goal
Downing hit a free kick into the wall from a promising position while Fabbrini was inches away from latching onto a ball which would surely have been turned into the net had he managed a touch.
Ross Wallace had a shot blocked from range for the home side but Wednesday had little at all to show for their early efforts, with Boro finally taking the lead just three minutes before half time.
They had had a succession of corner kicks in the first half and eventually, one found its way into the back of the net. The initial delivery was only partially cleared and the ball dropped to academy product Adam Reach, who slammed it past Price to give Aitor Karanka's men a well-deserved advantage.
The Owls grew into the game in the early stages of the second half with substitute Adthe Nuhiu making a clear impact, but Boro should have doubled their advantage on the hour mark as Fabbrini wasted an opportunity as the visitors broke with a three-on-two advantage.
Two goals in three minutes
Barely 60 seconds later, they were made to pay. Summer signing Matias shot from the edge of the area and his effort took a sizeable deflection off a defender before looping past the helpless Boro keeper.
Strangely, with the momentum seemingly swaying hugely towards the hosts with the loudest cheer of the day meeting an Owls corner soon after the goal, Karanka's men hit back almost immediately.
Again it was Fabbrini who found himself leading the charge and through on goal, but this time the one-time Italian international made no mistake and clipped the ball past Price to restore the visitors' slim advantage.
Stuani makes the game safe
And, though the Owls came back on more than one occasion and went closest through Tom Lees' header which dropped just wide, the visitors made the game safe with five minutes to play.
Summer signings David Nugent and Stuani had been brought on in the second half and combined for the third goal, Nugent heading on to the Uruguayan at the end of a well-worked move for Stuani to finish with aplomb into the bottom corner.
With nothing to lose but the game out of reach, Wednesday still attempted to claw a goal back with Nuhiu the primary outlet, but it wasn't to be and Boro held on for an important victory at the end of a difficult week for the club.