FOR 45 minutes it looked as if Tony Pulis’ fears about Middlesbrough’s reduced recovery time after an international break would be realised.

Within six minutes of the restart, however, his team had come up with the goods to secure the three points to lift Boro to the top of the Championship – and it was one of those who had been on duty for his country who sparked them into life.

The effective and excellent Mo Besic had played twice for Bosnia, and the second of those was in Sarajevo on Tuesday night, and he still returned and proved the difference to get Middlesbrough over the line against Sheffield Wednesday.

Besic powered Pulis’ side ahead in the 49th minute with a clinical finish inside the area before then making the most of a horrendous error from Owls captain Tom Lees. He laid on the second less than six minutes later for Britt Assombalonga to grab an easy fifth of the season, his 50th in the second tier.

It was the victory Middlesbrough wanted, after losing to Nottingham Forest in their last outing, to climb above the rest of the promotion chasers before they play this weekend.

There was to be no ninth clean sheet to cherish, though, as a graduate of Middlesbrough’s academy, Adam Reach, pulled one back with nine minutes remaining with a sweet volley. The Owls could easily have extended Wednesday’s unbeaten home record too, but Middlesbrough held firm.

Having submitted a formal letter of complaint to the Football League authorities about the rescheduling of this fixture so soon after the international break, it was always likely that Pulis would mix things up and he did so.

Yet Bosnian Besic and England Under-21s’ Dael Fry were both given starting spots despite being involved for their countries, along with Ireland goalkeeper Darren Randolph. There was no place at all for Martin Braithwaite, who scored for Denmark in midweek, after his return on Thursday.

Fry’s inclusion, as one of three adjustments to the team that lost to Forest, meant a change to three at the back, while Adam Clayton returned to the heart of the midfield and Assombalonga was preferred ahead of Jordan Hugill in attack.

It was a game that lacked adventure and impetus in the first half, suggesting Pulis might have had a point. There was a real lack of clear-cut chances created in the opening half and nothing serious for Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Cameron Dawson to save.

The best two chances of the opening half hour fell to the hosts and playmaker Reach was the game’s main threat. He is playing with confidence under Jos Luhukay and he must have wondered how he didn’t score.

Firstly, his movement in the penalty area saw him glance a clipped Barry Bannan delivery onto the top of Randolph’s crossbar in the 12th minute.

On the half hour mark Reach, after he had been picked out by Bannan again on the right, saw a powerful right-footed drive tipped over by the flying hand of Randolph, even though referee Peter Bankes didn’t spot it and he pointed for a goal-kick.

That second chance arrived at just the right time for the Owls because it eased the pressure on their defence after a decent spell from Middlesbrough. Despite pushing on plenty and seeing enough of the ball, Dawson still didn’t have a save to make.

Like so often this season, there were plenty balls played into the box but without an end product. The nearest they came was when Stewart Downing’s free-kick delivery was headed behind for a corner by Lucas Joao when Daniel Ayala looked like he would at least get a header in on goal.

There was too much reliance on Assombalonga to get on the end of things because he was often the only red shirt in the Sheffield Wednesday box; so when crosses evaded him they tended to be mopped up swiftly by a blue and white shirt.

The former Nottingham Forest man’s difficult first half was summed up when he got frustrated with a failure to link up properly with supporting striker Downing in the Wednesday half. Time and again Assombalonga was brushed off the ball, sometimes illegally which went unpunished, by the strong frame of Jordan Thorniley.

Middlesbrough did record an effort on goal just before the break but Besic’s low drive was comfortable for Dawson and there can’t have been too many supporters inside Hillsborough unhappy to have heard the half-time whistle after a largely uneventful 45.

There needed to be greater urgency and an increase in tempo after the restart and there was. The signs were there with the sight of the wing-backs pushing right up from the first whistle and it took less than four minutes to break the deadlock.

Downing’s clever backheel down the right flank was perfect for the overlapping Jonny Howson to run on to and drag a cut back into the path of Besic. The on loan Everton midfielder’s first touch got him beyond his marker and the second was a tidy finish inside the far post.

Less than six minutes later it was two. This time Besic was on hand to run clear on goal when an awful turn and pass from Tom Lees was punished. With just the keeper to beat, the midfielder rolled sideways for Assombalonga, who had forced Lees into the error, to tap into the empty net.

There looked no way back for Sheffield Wednesday. Middlesbrough looked comfortable until the closing stages and could easily have added to their lead, as the home side’s fans regularly voiced their frustrations.

Dawson had to be alert on numerous occasions to hold efforts in his direction, with Besic and Downing most dangerous in the final third.

But then Ayala conceded a foul and was booked inside the Middlesbrough half. A failure to clear the ball into the area saw Reach then stunningly hit a first time volley from the edge of the area inside Randolph’s right hand post.

Wednesday kept pressing after that and Middlesbrough were fortunate with a couple of strong decisions from the officials, and they held on to hit the Championship's summit.