RAMS OVER THE ROON ! Boss Warne: I’m absolutely broken
Wayne’s ‘big relief’... but it’s agony for Owls
WAYNE ROONEY went through every emotion in this dramatic game – from agony to ecstasy.
Eventually, Sheffield Wednesday finished rockbottom after a frantic final day at Pride Park.
Yet such was the knife-edge nature of this clash, a potential Wednesday winner in six minutes of injury-time would have catapulted them to safety.
It made for an exhilarating, nerve-shredding contest.
The draw meant Derby boss Rooney was able to savour safety, as he said: “I felt for Sheffield Wednesday, it is another massive football club. I made sure I went around their coaches and players first.
“Today was a final and I have lost in cup finals – it is not nice.
“We could celebrate properly in the dressing room, which we did. It is big relief.”
Both Rooney and Rams owner Mel Morris made a point of personally thanking striker
Martyn Waghorn for helping them stay up.
Trailing 1-0 at the break to Sam Hutchinson’s goal, Derby were staring at a costly relegation to the third tier for the first time since 1984.
But Waghorn’s header gave them hope before the hitman, who received treatment in the first half for colliding with the post, teed up Patrick Roberts.
Callum Paterson equalised and Julian Borner then put Wednesday ahead as they dared to dream, despite being docked six points earlier this season.
But then Waghorn buried a crucial 78th-minute penalty.
It was tough on the Owls, especially boss Darren Moore, who had missed their previous four games after his Covid developed into pneumonia. Moore said: “The players gave it as Paterson pounced on an error by Forsyth to slam in.
Forsyth was then outmuscled at the back post by Chey Dunkley, who headed the ball back for Borner to net. But everything. the hosts were awarded a penalty when sub Kamil Jozwiak But relegation is was brought down by Dunkley. over the course of the season. Waghorn showed great guts There is nothing I can say to bury it for his fifth this term which is going to console them as the hosts held firm in six now.” minutes of injury-time.
Earlier, it had looked ominous In the end, it was the Owls’ for the hosts after conceding in six-point deduction for first-half stoppage time. breaching spending rules that
Paterson’s long throw was cost them. Moore added: “You helped on by Craig Forsyth and can look at the six points as a Jordan Rhodes’ header brought huge factor in the season.” a save from Kelle Roos. DERBY COUNTY: Roos 7, Byrne 7, Edmundson 7,
But Hutchinson was on hand Clarke 7, Forsyth 3 (Buchanan 73, 6), Knight 6 (Bird 61, to pounce for his first goal since 6), Shinnie 8 (Jozwiak 73, 6), Roberts 7, Waghorn 9 August 2019. Derby were out (Davies 81), Lawrence 7, Kazim-Richards 7. early after the break and quickly Unused subs: Marshall, Sibley, Cashin, Ebosele, Watson turned the game around. SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY: Westwood 6, First, Waghorn headed in Borner 7, Dunkley 7 (Harris 87), Hutchinson 7, Palmer
6, Pelupessy 6 (Green 90), Bannan 8, Reach 7, Paterson Tom Lawrence’s cross in the
8, Windass 6, Rhodes 7 (Kachunga 79).
49th minute. Unused subs: Wildsmith, Dele-Bashiru, Urhoghide,
Then, three minutes later, the Shaw, Hunt, Brennan. hosts took the lead after a MAN OF THE MATCH: Martyn Waghorn. The superb left-foot curler from striker put his body on the line, scored two goals and outside the box from Roberts. helped assist the other.
Their lead lasted 10 minutes REFEREE: Michael Dean 7.
for 10 months and right now I can’t see any sunshine.
“Tomorrow, I’ll look back and reflect on what went wrong.
“But I’m immensely proud of how far this group has come. The sad thing is the dressing room will never be the same again, but that group of players should be cemented as gods of Rotherham football club.”
If gods sounds a bit of a stretch, then mere mortals might have succumbed long ago to the task that
Rotherham faced in staying up against all odds, all budget counts and all expectations.
That they took it to the last couple of minutes of the season was rightly a reason for pride for Warne, although he was realistic enough to admit that more goals when they were well on top would have secured their passage.
He added: “I wanted them to leave the stage like heroes. I asked them to play like warriors and they did.
“But maybe that is a microcosm of our season. We have so much energy and heart, but haven’t finished them off. We had a few gilt-edged chances.” After Wing scored with a superb early volley, Rotherham had at least half a dozen chances to make it 2-0, the best falling to Angus MacDonald, but he was denied by Dillon Phillips’ instinctive save.
Cardiff manager Mick McCarthy was able to send on Sol Bamba for the last minute, following the completion of his chemotherapy treatment.
On the season as a whole, McCarthy said: “From where we were – had we lost at Bristol City, we’d have gone fourth bottom that day – the lads have been brilliant.”