Danny Rohl could not hide his delight after Sheffield Wednesday substitute Jeff Hendrick equalised in the third minute of added time to dramatically deny leaders Leicester victory.
The Foxes were on course for another away win when Ghana international Abdul Fatawu, 19, struck a 23rd-minute opener, neatly firing the ball in from Stephy Mavididi’s left-wing cross.
It left visiting boss Enzo Maresca punching the air at pitchside and several thousand travelling Leicester supporters singing about promotion once again.
“Straight back up, straight back up Leicester City,” was their chant, as it has been for much of this season. It was an impressive sight.
Not that Leicester were anywhere near their best at a bitterly cold Hillsborough; far from it.
But the Owls kept plugging away and, when the ball was played into Leicester’s box in added time, substitute Hendrick made no mistake by firing home from close range.
It came as a major fillip for a Wednesday side who have struggled for much of this season at the foot of the Championship.
Spaniard Xisco Munoz lasted just 10 games as manager before being ushered out of the door in early October.
It was the worst start in this famous old club’s history and led to the appointment of Rohl.
Positivity drips from Rohl, whose players have taken to his warm, engaging personality, but results-wise he has struggled to stop the rot and he has now won just once in seven games.
The gusto with which the home faithful belted out their anthemic ‘Hi Ho Sheffield Wednesday’ song before kick-off served as a reminder of the potential of this fallen giant.
That energy transmitted to the pitch and, remarkably, Wednesday should have led inside the opening 20 seconds.
Skipper Barry Bannan caught Ricardo Pereira in possession on the edge of the Foxes’ 18-yard box before advancing towards goal.
Time almost seemed to stand still and Hillsborough held its breath as the mercurial midfielder steadied himself before dragging a low, left-foot shot wide of Mads Hermansen’s far post.
It was a golden opportunity spurned and Bannan held his head in his hands, but the Scot was instrumental in another big chance for the home side inside the fifth minute.
He won possession and found Callum Paterson, whose shot was blocked, but on a bitterly cold night Leicester gradually warmed to their task.
They began to probe and it came as no surprise when they broke the deadlock in the 18th minute.
Mavididi crossed dangerously from the left flank and at the ball dropped to the unmarked Fatawu at the far post.
He had time and space to control the ball and lash a low left-foot shot past Cameron Dawson.
It was another knife in the side of a team struggling for confidence but Wednesday, who handed a first league start to highly-rated 18-year-old striker Bailey Cadamarteri.
The son of former Everton forward Danny Cadamarteri, who memorably scored in a Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in October 1997 as a teenager, caused Leicester problems.
He narrowly failed to connect with a low cross in the 27th minute and then, as the interval approached, he hit a fierce right-foot shot which drew a vital block from a Foxes defender.
Chances grew scarce after the break as Leicester held on comfortably, with captain and boyhood Wednesday supporter Jamie Vardy a lingering threat up front.
The Foxes should have made the game safe in the closing stages but substitute Kasey McAteer could only prod the ball wide from the edge of the six-yard box.
And they were soon punished when Hendrick scored to level the scores, yet there was still time for Leicester to pilfer the points only for Jannik Vestergaard’s effort was kept out.
