Michael Smith reaches historic goals target for Sheffield Wednesday and ruins milestone for former manager Paul Warne

It wasn’t a pain halved either with both left to pick up the pieces after shattering relegations for Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United.

This time around, it was the former who was left to commiserate with his opposite number, now in charge at Derby County and one of football’s good guys like himself. Moore was entitled to feel a bit better about things this time.

Events at Oakwell, allied to a very harsh dismissal which turned the game in Wednesday’s favour when veteran defender Curtis Davies received his marching orders - with a player whom Warne knows very well in Michael Smith coolly netting from the spot - left Warne feeling understandably sore.

The Rams chief turns 50 today. The early birthday present he craved by way of securing a play-off ticket did not arrive.

Warne thought the world of Smith in his time at Rotherham and moved heaven and earth to try and keep him last summer. The fact that he ended Derby's season is a cruel irony.

Fresh from his maiden league hat-trick at Shrewsbury, Smith took his season’s tally up to 20 in the process and achieved his personal target for 2022-23 - while becoming the first Owls player since Neil Mellor in 2010-11 to reach that milestone.

Smith said: "He (Warne) mentioned that it was his birthday. He's also mentioned that he does not look a day over 40…

"He is someone I have a huge amount of respect and time for. He's a top bloke."

Like on a host of occasions this season, Wednesday were not particularly scintillating on the eye, but got the job done. A nice habit to have.

With four wins on the spin, they have rediscovered their old selves and head into the play-offs with momentum.

They now collide into gatecrashing Peterborough and not Derby, as many suspected, in the semi-finals.

On facing Posh, Moore commented: "It's a tough challenge.

"I think Darren (Ferguson) has done a wonderful job. When he took over, they were five, six, seven points outside of the play-offs at the time.

"He has brought consistency and belief and they have got in on the last day of the season, so they have had to keep that belief and mentality going.

"Both (league) games have been tight and I expect another one. It's two teams going into the play-offs with form. We are in form, which is what you want."

There’s good news elsewhere. A facial injury sustained by Lee Gregory in training last week is not as bad as many feared and it is hoped that he will be in the fray for the first leg on Friday.

Josh Windass continued his comeback with half an hour on Sunday and Michael Ihiekwe and Dennis Adeniran's absences were purely precautionary.

On home soil, Wednesday are unbeaten in 23 matches in all competitions, while their points total of 96 is the highest ever tally for a side not to be automatically promoted.

This particular game hinged on events in the build-up to half-time.

After Max Bird's poor pass failed to pick out David McGoldrick, comfortably Derby's biggest threat, Wednesday struck at the other end.Davies’ backpass was short and Joe Wildsmith raced out to challenge the onrushing Callum Paterson.

With Wildsmith stranded, the loose ball was seemingly destined for Johnson to tuck it into the goal he had vacated.

Davies tugged the shirt of the Owls player with referee Leigh Doughty deeming it as not just a penalty, but also a clear goalscoring opportunity, despite the fact that covering defender Eiran Cashin had raced back to guard the goal.

A red card was hard on Derby. Moore admitted it was 'debatable.'

McGoldrick had earlier gone close twice - with a 25-yard drive and a chip. On each occasion, Cameron Dawson was up to the task.

As expected, Wednesday, with the extra man, had chances on the restart.

Another of Warne’s old muckers from his Millers days in Will Vaulks almost applied the salt with his curler smacking the crossbar with goalbound follow-up blocked by Craig Forsyth.

The hosts started to find gaps, but Derby kept going. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing found Bird, but if the pass had been more careful, the ball would have ended in the net. Instead, the degree of difficulty was made harder with Aden Flint clearing off the line.

Paterson missed a sitter, while Derby got more desperate, mindful of events going against them at Barnsley. Wednesday saw it out as they often do. Seeing out the next three games - however it comes - is now the aim.

Sheffield Wednesday: Dawson; Iorfa, Flint, Brown; Palmer (Hunt 78), Vaulks, Dele-Bashiru (Durrant 85), Bannan (Bakinson 78), Johnson; Paterson, M Smith (Windass 65). Substitutes unused: Stockdale, Glover, James.

Derby County: Wildsmith; Cashin, Davies, Forsyth; Knight (White 74), Bird (Dobbin 69), Hourihane (Collins 74), Roberts; Mendez-Laing (Barkhuizen 69), Sibley (K Smith 44); McGoldrick. Substitutes unused: McGee, Rooney.

Referee: L Doughty (Lancashire).