Lee's close-range finish following Alex Bruce's 71st-minute cross earned the Tractor Boys their first success on their travels in 17 attempts since a 2-0 success at Luton last March.

Defeat for Wednesday leaves Brian Laws' side embroiled in a relegation battle, perilously close to the bottom three with just two wins from their last 11 league matches.

Ipswich had made a flying start, with Alan Quinn returning to Hillsborough to haunt Owls fans with a thunderbolt opener from 25 yards in the fourth minute, but Marcus Tudgay levelled for the Owls soon after.

Former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Quinn, a £600,000 transfer-window signing for Ipswich from Sheffield United, received a short pass from Jonathan Walters and unleashed a venomous shot into the top corner.

But the early setback galvanised Laws' side and they deservedly drew level.

Jermaine Johnson's fine shot was tipped round the post by Ipswich's debutant goalkeeper Stephen Bywater, a deadline-day loan signing from Derby.

But from the resulting corner Graham Kavanagh, back at Hillsborough on loan from Sunderland, saw his shot blocked and Tudgay reacted quickest to slide the loose ball into the bottom corner from 15 yards.

Ipswich began to get on top in the second half, but chances were limited until Lee converted Bruce's right-wing cross for his 10th goal of the season.

Ipswich midfielder David Norris, another player making his debut following his switch from Plymouth, headed Quinn's first-half cross wide, but the home side bossed play before the interval.

Tudgay headed Burton O'Brien's cross wide and Kavanagh's free-kick, following a foul on new Owls loan signing Enoch Showunmi, was held by Bywater.

Two more new Ipswich signings, Velice Sumulikoski and Nick Colgan, were on the visitors' bench.

Wednesday picked up where they left off at the start of the second half, but although they pegged back the visitors they were unable to carve out any clear-cut goalscoring chances.

Owls boss Laws replaced Ronnie Wallwork with Wade Small for tactical reasons in the 58th minute.

But Ipswich threatened via long-range efforts from Quinn and David Wright before they regained the lead with 19 minutes left.

Bruce crossed from the right and visiting striker Lee clipped the ball home from six yards.

Norris then saw his shot from the edge of the penalty area blocked by Owls defender Tommy Spurr as the visitors began to sense a first away success of the season.

Wednesday responded with a long-range effort from O'Brien, but it was all the home side had to show for their second-half efforts.

Town manager Jim Magilton sent on 26-year-old Macedonia international Sumulikoski for his first appearance in the Championship for Owen Garvan in the 77th minute.

Lee had another goalbound effort blocked by Spurr, while all the Owls could muster at the other end was Spurr's angled shot from 12 yards that the defender dragged wide.

Sporting Life