Wednesday wasted the chance to go joint third in the Championship in a disappointing 1-1 draw at Derby this evening.
Having dominated the opening period and taken the lead, we failed to build on this with more goals. allowing the fragile-looking home side back into the game in the second half when we might have lost all three points in the closing stages.
The draw sees us slip to eighth place in the table, one point from the play-offs.
It had all looked so different at the start of the game when we were very much on the front foot, deservedly taking the lead midway through the half when the in-form Stephen Fletcher fired home in style from the edge of the box.
Derby could hardly have been worse in the second half and looked slightly improved in the early stages after the interval while, at the same time, we failed to show the creativity, pace and intensity displayed in those first 45 minutes.
It still took the home side 78 minutes to get a shot on target but, with the influential Fletcher and Kadeem Harris both subbed during the second half, our own chances became few and far between.
The home side’s increased possession reaped rewards seven minutes from time when Moses Odubajo was harshly judged to have pulled down Jack Marriott in the box and Chris Martin converted from the penalty spot.
With Derby then sensing a possible unlikely victory, worse followed for Odubajo in added time when he was sent off after picking up a second yellow card for a foul on Scott Malone.
Dawson, Odubajo, Iorfa, Lees, Fox, Harris (Murphy 61), Hutchinson, Bannan, Reach, Rhodes (Nuhiu 71), Fletcher (Luongo 78). Unused subs. Jones, Borner, Lee, Pelupessy.