Ten-men Leicester City fell to their heaviest defeat of the season as they went down 4-1 to in-form Sheffield Wednesday at the Walkers Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

A controversial first half penalty awarded by referee Rob Styles and scored by Chris Brunt set the tone for the afternoon before two wonder strikes from Glenn Whelan and Marcus Tudgay within a minute of each other and another by Brunt condemned the Foxes to their fourth successive Championship defeat.

The hosts also had skipper Paddy McCarthy dismissed for two bookings on an afternoon to forget for the Blue Army.

Stephen Hughes netted his third goal of the season after the interval while Patrick Kisnorbo hit the bar late on and Levi Porter and Elvis Hammond came close but it proved scant consolation.

The visitors created the first opening of the game on two minutes when Wayne Andrews met Paddy McCarthy's clearance but his effort flew high over the bar.

Tommy Spurr was cautioned as early as the 10th minute after bringing down a free-flowing Danny Tiatto but from the resulting set-piece Madjid Bougherra headed clear.

Elvis Hammond and Josh Low just failed to connect with Porter's teasing cross from the left three minutes later.

Porter then tried his luck from the left hand angle on 20 minutes but his shot went wide of the target.

Iain Hume and Bougherra were both cautioned in the 26th minute after an off-the-ball incident before Hammond did well down the right hand side but his pull-back was too high for Porter.

Brunt's cross into the danger area was intercepted by Alan Maybury on 36 minutes before the Irish defender headed over his own bar after a long throw in from the left.

Good work by Hammond resulted in Lee Bullen being booked after bringing down the striker.

However, it was the Owls who controversially went ahead two minutes before the break.

Low was harshly judged to have fouled Andrews in the area and referee Styles pointed to the spot much to the amazement of the City players, management and partisan crowd.

Conrad Logan and McCarthy were cautioned from protesting before Brunt fired home from the spot to break the deadlock.

Gareth Williams replaced Tiatto for the start of the second half before the hosts were reduced to 10-men on 50 minutes when McCarthy was handed a second booking for an infringement and sent from the field of play. 

Rob Kelly was forced to shuffle his pack with Gareth McAuley coming on for Low a minute later.

And Brunt rubbed salt into City's already open wounds three minutes later when he struck from the edge of the area to double his side's advantage with his second of the contest.

A world-class point blank save from Logan denied Deon Burton soon after.

However, Hughes handed his side a lifeline on 57 minutes when his deflected shot from 30-yards wrong-footed Mark Crossley and flew into the back of the net to spark the crowd into life.

Hughes fired over moments later as the home side searched for a leveller before Hammond's shot inside the area was blocked on the line by Bougherra in the 66th minute.

Porter's snap-shot moments later was parried behind by Crossley for a corner then the Owls keeper comfortably gathered Williams' shot from distance.

But despite City's renewed vigour, it was Wednesday who restored their two goal lead on 70 minutes when Whelan's unstoppable shot sailed past Logan from 35-yards and into the back of the net off the underside of the crossbar.

The visitors then made it 4-1 a minute later with another screamer, this time from Tudgay, whose long range effort flew into the top corner past a helpless Logan.

Burton made way for Steve MacLean on 74 minutes before Kisnorbo hit the bar with a header from Porter's corner in the 84th minute.

Matty Fryatt replaced Hammond a minute later then the Owls made a double change with Burton O'Brien and Graham Coughlan coming on for Spurr and Bougherra respectively.

But their job had already been done and it was the visitors who went home happy.

City: Logan, Stearman, McCarthy ©, Kisnorbo, Maybury, Low (McAuley 51), Tiatto (Williams 45), Hughes, Porter, Hume, Hammond (Fryatt 85). Subs not used: Henderson, Welsh.

Wednesday: Crossley, Simek, Bougherra (Coughlan 86), Bullen ©, Spurr (O'Brien 86), Andrews, Whelan, Folly, Brunt, Burton (MacLean 74), Tudgay. Subs not used: McAllister, Adamson.

Yellow Cards

City: Hume (26), Logan (42), McCarthy (42)

Wednesday: Spurr (10), Bougherra (26), Bullen (40)

Red Cards

City: McCarthy (50 - second yellow)

Wednesday: None

Referee: Rob Styles (Hants)

Attendance: 22,693