Derby close to within three points of play-offs with win over Sheff Wed

Derby kept up their bid for the play-offs with a 2-1 victory over relegated Sheffield Wednesday, who registered another unwanted record.

Although former Derby loanee Jerry Yates cancelled out Ben Brereton Diaz’s opener, Matt Clarke headed the home side in front and that was enough to send Wednesday to a 13th straight league defeat.

The win pulls Derby to within three points of the play-offs, with sixth-placed Wrexham in FA Cup action this weekend.

The result also means Wednesday become only the fifth team in Football League history to go 30 or more consecutive games without a win, joining Crewe, Cambridge, Derby and Macclesfield.

There was some early encouragement for the 3,000 Wednesday fans packed into a corner of Pride Park as their team started brightly but it was soon a familiar story as Derby went ahead in the 11th minute.

Rhian Brewster’s lovely pass sent Brereton Diaz through and he made no mistake with a low finish past Pierce Charles.

The Chile forward should have added a second two minutes later but he fired over at the back post after more good work from Brewster.

It was a let off for the visitors and they took advantage in the 18th minute when Derby failed to clear and Jamal Lowe whipped in a cross which Yates met with a diving header into the top right corner.

Wednesday were certainly showing plenty of belief and Brereton Diaz had to take a yellow card by pulling over Svante Ingelsson to halt a dangerous counter attack.

But Derby restored their lead on the stroke of half-time, with Joe Ward providing a teasing cross which Clarke glanced past Charles.

It was tough on Wednesday, who had given Derby problems but they came out for the second half with a lot to do to avoid another defeat.

Derby had a chance to increase their lead in the 63rd minute but Patrick Agyemang fired a low shot just wide of the left post after Brereton Diaz played him in.

The Wednesday fans continued to make themselves heard but it was Derby who looked more likely to score and Brereton Diaz had a good opportunity to get his second but delayed and his effort was blocked.

The game had become increasingly scrappy but chances kept coming for Derby with Bobby Clark having a shot deflected narrowly wide in the 84th minute

There was another great chance for Derby in stoppage time but Carlton Morris got the ball stuck under his feet after the lively Brereton Diaz set him up from 12 yards.