Possible final day shootout for Wednesday

Wednesday will face Derby in a possible final day shootout after our nervy lunchtime goalless draw at home to Forest, coupled with defeat for the Rams at Swansea.

We sit on 40 points, three behind Derby and safety, but ourselves with a superior goal difference of one and both teams with the one game remaining.

However, Rotherham’s late equaliser at home to Blackburn today also takes them on to 40 points and, with a goal difference of five better than ours, victory for them at Luton on Tuesday evening would take the Millers three points clear of us, with their last match at Cardiff.

Indeed, if Rotherham were to win both their final games then they could stay up and relegate both ourselves and Derby.

Bottom club Wycombe are also on 40 points with one game remaining, but with a far inferior goal difference, and so look doomed to return to division one.

At one stage today, with ourselves already having drawn and Derby leading at Swansea, we were also heading for the drop but the Swans hit back to win
2-1 and so take us to what could be a winner takes all finale at Pride Park next Saturday.

In a poor game at Hillsborough, we had Keiren Westwood’s first-half penalty save to thank for keeping alive our hopes of avoiding relegation.

Wednesday looked very edgy and nervous throughout and neither side posed a real threat until the 45th minute when our calamitous defending of recent weeks came back to haunt us.

Westwood’s poor clearance was matched by a weak return header by Adam Reach, forcing the onrushing keeper to bring down Anthony Knockaert just inside the box.

However, Westwood redeemed himself with a full-length save to keep out Lewis Grabban’s penalty.

Forest might have taken the lead just after half-time when a weak backpass from Julian Borner failed to reach Westwood but Grabban shot into the side netting.

Wednesday did pose some attacking threat in a 15-minute spell midway through the half.

Sub Jordan Rhodes sent a header straight at keeper Brice Samba and then nodded wide at the far post. Josh Windass saw a low angled drive pushed away by Samba before Liam Palmer’s effort was blocked after a good run by Barry Bannan.

At the other end, James Garner slipped as he shot from inside the box before Rhodes scuffed his effort and when the ball found Reach he drove across goal.

After generally creating a much-improved number of chances in recent weeks, it was a performance that lacked the energy and desire of a team chasing three points – rather than one – but that Derby defeat means we will go into the final game of the season with at least some hope of survival.

Westwood, Paterson, Palmer, Hutchinson, Börner, Pelupessy, Bannan, Reach, Harris, Green (Rhodes 56), Windass. Unused subs. Wildsmith, Dunkley, Urhoghide, Shaw, Brennan, Kachunga, Hunt, Dele-Bashiru.

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