Full TimePosted at 90’+7′ Second Half ends, Sheffield Wednesday 1, Derby County 0.Post updateAttempt blocked. Max Bird (Derby County) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.Posted at 90’+6′ Attempt missed. David McGoldrick (Derby County) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.Posted at 90’+5′ Attempt missed. Liam Palmer (Sheffield Wednesday) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.Posted at 90’+4′ Attempt saved. David McGoldrick (Derby County) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Derby County missed out on the League One play-offs in agonising fashion as a controversial penalty and subsequent red card for Curtis Davies saw them beaten by play-off bound Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. The Rams knew that victory would guarantee a play-off place, but that simply matching or bettering Peterborough’s result against Barnsley would also be enough to remain in the top six. The game’s pivotal moment saw veteran defender Davies try to make amends for a poor backpass, but he was dismissed for tugging Marvin Johnson following keeper Joe Wildsmith’s rushed clearance five minutes before the break. Despite their best efforts, Derby were unable to find an equaliser that would have been good enough to see them stay in the final play-off spot on goal difference. The Rams had the best of a cagey first half, with top-scorer David McGoldrick having five attempts on goal – the best of which saw a fierce 20-yard drive superbly pushed away by keeper Cameron Dawson and a clever dinked attempt tipped over. However, Wednesday soon exerted more control and went close through Liam Palmer’s effort. The hosts upped the tempo even more after the interval and could have been out of sight, Will Vaulks striking the bar with a fine shot and a long-range Barry Bannan effort going just wide. Callum Paterson also missed the target with an excellent headed opportunity but the 10 men almost levelled when Bird’s scuffed shot beat Dawson only to be cleared off the line by Aden Flint. McGoldrick once again tested Dawson from long range late on, but Paul Warne’s men could not force the equaliser that would have secured a top-six spot and the Owls go into the play-offs having ended the regular season unbeaten in 23 home games – the club’s longest sequence since January 1981. Derby County manager Paul Warne told BBC Radio Derby: “I don’t think it’s today’s performance that hasn’t got us in. We dropped points we shouldn’t have dropped which I’m hugely disappointed with, but I thought our performance today was excellent. It was the best away performance we’ve had, against a top-six team, and I know I’m biased, but I thought for large periods we were the better team, both with 11 and 10. We weren’t far away from a pretty perfect away performance, but unfortunately we’ve come up short.” It’s hard for the players – there’s a lot in tears in the dressing room as you can imagine, but hopefully we can keep the large majority of them for next season, improve where we can and have a real go.
Derby County agonisingly missed out on the League One play-offs after a controversial penalty and subsequent red card for Curtis Davies saw them beaten by Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. Victory would have guaranteed a play-off place for Derby, but even matching or bettering Peterborough’s result against Barnsley would have been enough to remain in the top six. The game’s pivotal moment came when veteran defender Davies tried to make amends for a poor backpass, but he was dismissed for tugging Marvin Johnson following keeper Joe Wildsmith’s rushed clearance five minutes before half-time. Despite their best efforts, Derby were unable to find an equaliser that would have been good enough to see them stay in the final play-off spot on goal difference. The Rams had the best of a cagey first half, with top-scorer David McGoldrick having five attempts on goal – the best of which saw a fierce 20-yard drive superbly pushed away by keeper Cameron Dawson and a clever dinked attempt tipped over. However, Wednesday soon exerted more control and went close through Liam Palmer’s effort. The hosts upped the tempo even more after the interval and could have been out of sight, Will Vaulks striking the bar with a fine shot and a long-range Barry Bannan effort going just wide. Callum Paterson also missed the target with an excellent headed opportunity but the 10 men almost levelled when Bird’s scuffed shot beat Dawson only to be cleared off the line by Aden Flint. McGoldrick once again tested Dawson from long range late on, but Paul Warne’s men could not force the equaliser that would have secured a top-six spot and the Owls go into the play-offs having ended the regular season unbeaten in 23 home games – the club’s longest sequence since January 1981. Derby County manager Paul Warne told BBC Radio Derby: “I don’t think it’s today’s performance that hasn’t got us in. We dropped points we shouldn’t have dropped which I’m hugely disappointed with, but I thought our performance today was excellent. It was the best away performance we’ve had, against a top-six team, and I know I’m biased, but I thought for large periods we were the better team, both with 11 and 10. We weren’t far away from a pretty perfect away performance, but unfortunately we’ve come up short.” It’s hard for the players – there’s a lot in tears in the dressing room as you can imagine, but hopefully we can keep the large majority of them for next season, improve where we can and have a real go.