Richard Stearman has admitted Derby County’s players were ‘devastated’ to fall to a late defeat at Peterborough United on Saturday.
The Rams’ first away fixture in the 2021/22 Sky Bet Championship saw them fall to a 2-1 loss against last season’s League One runners-up.
Derby had taken the lead with 13 minutes of normal time remaining at the Weston Homes Stadium through young striker Jack Stretton and on looked to be on course for all three points.
However, stoppage-time finishes from Harrison Burrows and Siriki Dembele saw the Rams return home pointless.
Stearman, who was one of four new signings at the club last week after spending pre-season with Wayne Rooney’s squad as a free agent, felt the Rams did enough to claim all three points.
The experienced defender, however, knows the difference between deserving a victory and making sure the points are in the bag.
Talking to RamsTV after the game, he said: “It’s not over until it’s over, is it. Until Peterborough scored their first goal, I thought we were comfortable and we were dominating possession throughout most of the game.
“We are disappointed with both goals and how they got the momentum. Around ten minutes of additional time helped them out more than us and we are devastated in the dressing room.
“We felt we deserved at least a point out of the game, if not the three points, but we’ve come away with nothing.”
He added: “We have just got to get on with our jobs and prepare for the next game.”
Stearman was equally disappointed for Academy graduate Stretton that his first senior goal for Derby didn’t turn out to be the winner.
With fellow striker Colin Kazim-Richards picking up an injury early in the second half, Stretton could step into his shoes.
“It was a great a moment for him and it’s another reason why we are disappointed,” Stearman said.
“For him not to be able to celebrate his first goal for the club and get something more meaningful behind it than just a goal for him, is frustrating.
“We are going to have to move forward now and Jack could be a big part of that.”
Derby return to action in the Championship in midweek when they travel to Hull City on Wednesday night (7:45pm kick-off).
