Sheffield Wednesday 0 Derby County 3: Owls' ideas above their station prove costly
With Pierce Charles back in goal, Sheffield Wednesday are trying too hard to play football. It did not suit them against a Derby County side revelled in just how easy their players found it.
The Owls players have at least shown plenty of fight on their mission impossible to stay in the Championship, but on Monday they were architects of their own downfall, poor at the basics and trying to play a brand of football that was frankly beyond them.
By the end they had lost their discipline, Max Lowe and Charle McNeill's barges and Harry Amass' lunge perhaps letting out a bit of frustration, but at the cost of cheap bookings. With injuries and now even African Cup of Nations call-ups biting into an already threadbare suqad, cheap suspensions are the last thing they need.
That they only lost 3-0 was a blessing after being outclassed by mid-table Derby. Patrick Agyemang helped himself to two goals and will be kicking himself not to have gone home with the matchball.
Even at the age of 20, Charles is one of the best footballing goalkeepers around, but trying to play out from the back did not sit comfortably with many of his team-mates, and played into Derby's hands.
On-loan Manchester United wing-back pulled off an audacious flick over the head of his man near his own corner flag, then wellied the ball forward for what was very nearly a good ball for Bailey Cadamarteri.
Later in the half a backheel released Max Lowe in a part of the field where such tricks are more acceptable, only for Lowe's cross to hit his opposite number.
Charles, as his way, pinged a few lovely passes but before the break he too started giving the ball away.
The Owls honeymoon had definitely worn off on a nippy Monday night.
"Empty seats!" taunted the plentiful Derby away following, remembering how little sympathy they got from the Owls fanbase when it was them on their uppers but with relegation a near-certainty already, this is a hard cause to stay loyal to.
At 23,466, the official attendance was the lowest since the club went into administration, the real one once the season ticket holders who stayed at home were knocked off far smaller.
An argument broke out in the main stand with some fans unhappy at the negativity of others. This is a limited team trying its best, but they were testing the patience.
"Gerroldovit!" screamed one support when the ball yet again failed to stick with a blue-and-white-shirted player, this time McNeill.
Craig Forsyth flashed a ball across which Ben Brereton Diaz – one of two former Sheffield United players in Derby's front three – could not quite reach – inside two minutes, but it was in the 18th when Wednesday had their real warning, and they did not take note.
Matt Clarke stepped in to intercept a loose pass and worked it to Brereton Diaz only for Rhian Brewster to shoot about yards wide to the glee of the Kop.
Next it was Liam Cooper giving the ball to Liam Thompson. Barry Bannan got back to head the cross away before Bobby Clark put it in, but took a whack for his troubles.
It was Cooper, signed to be a steadying influence in an inexperienced side, who turned possession over in the 32nd minute. The centre-back played a ball which gave Svante Ingelsson little chance. Clark played it through to Agyemang, who passed Dominic Iorfa with a straight-forward shimmy and found the far corner of the net with a precise finish.
Derby ought to have gone in more than one up, a low Charles save denying Brereton Diaz at the second attempt, then the Chile international shooting over when Charles have the ball to Clark. He also shot narrowly wide in the 45th minute.
Iorfa started the second half with a good slide tackle on Agyemang but it would not be a sign of things to come on a tough night for the centre-back, hooked before full-time.
It was he who got involved in a spot of handbags with the winger which continued even after referee Lewis Smith had booked both.
When Forsyth played the free-kick in, Liam Thompson controlled the second ball and shot it into the net in front of the gleeful away fans.
Five minutes later it was three, Brewster knocking Sean Fusire too easily out of the way. His cross picked out Max Lowe, who could only play it to Agyemang for his second.
With 62 minutes gone, you feared the roof might come in, and Agyemang was only denied a hat-trick by a stretching save from Charles. He was able to run through one on one behind Iorfa, who had given the ball away.
Charles also saved from Andreas Weimann and Kayden Jackson.
The away end apart, Hillsborough was virtually empty at full-time, which was meant with an air of resignation, rather than the sporadic boos of the interval.
The fresh start of new ownership really cannot come soon enough.
Sheffield Wednesday: Charles; Fusire, Iorfa (Otegbayo 86), Cooper, M Lowe, Amass (Alao 90+2); Ingelsson (Ugbo 85), Bannan; J Lowe (Chalobah 61), McNeil; Cadamarteri (Brown 62).
Unused substitutes: Horvath, Palmer, Johnson, Thornton.
Derby County: Zetterstrom; Langas, Sanderson (Jackson 79), Clarke; Ward, Thompson, Clark (Adams 79), Forsyth; Brereton Díaz, Brewster (Weimann 61), Agyemang (Salvesen 87).
Unused substitutes: Blackett-Taylor, Elder, Nyambe, Vickers, Nelson.
Referee: L Smith (Wigan).