3/1 To Win
Wayne Rooney admitted Derby County were made to pay for failing to build on their bright start as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday on New Year’s Day.
Callum Paterson's scrambled 61st-minute winner proved to be the difference in the Sky Bet Championship encounter on a bitterly cold night at Hillsborough.
The Rams had more of the possession and the better chances over the 90 minutes and went closest when Colin Kazim-Richards hit the bar in the first half from Craig Forsyth’s fine cross.
They also got into several good attacking areas, especially early on, but they failed to make the most of their dominance.
Derby were unable to build on the 4-0 thrashing of Birmingham City on Tuesday and Rooney, who continues to lead the Rams’ coaching team while the club waits to appoint a new permanent manager, felt the side made life hard for themselves.
“We dominated the first 30 minutes; we were very good and we were moving the ball well,” Rooney told RamsTV after the loss at Hillsborough.
“The pitch wasn’t great, but we still managed to move the ball and play some really good stuff. We created some chances and after the first 30 minutes or so I felt we found it a bit easy and got bored of doing the right things.
“We got drawn into a game that Sheffield Wednesday wanted. I still think we deserved to win the game with the chances we created but that is what football is; they were waiting for that one chance and they took it. It was a scrappy goal, so it is disappointing to concede one like that.
“If we had got a goal early on, I think we would have gone on and got two or three. However, the longer it goes on and you do not get the goal, it gives the opposition encouragement.”
He added: “We stopped trying to play. We were getting free-kicks and we were just getting bodies forward and kicking the ball long when we could have got the ball down and started the game off quickly again. It’s disappointing, but we move on.”
Derby were left aggrieved after being denied a late penalty by referee Matt Donohue following a handball against Wednesday’s Kadeem Harris from Lee Buchanan’s cross.
Rooney, having seen replays of the decision, was bitterly disappointed the Rams were not awarded a spot-kick.
“I don’t want to stand here every week and talk about referees because it is on us to go on and win the game and take it out of their hands, but I think when it’s so obvious that I can see it from the touchline that it’s a penalty,” Rooney said.
“I will say it again that I don’t know why there is no communication. The referee is in the middle, he cannot see everything. The fourth official was stood next to me and he could clearly see what I could see, which was a penalty.”
Derby return to action next Saturday in the Third Round of the Emirates FA Cup at National League North side Chorley, while their next Championship fixture is on 16th January at home to Rotherham United.
