Wycombe secure respectable point at home to Derby County

A solid display at the back from Matt Bloomfield’s side kept the ex-Premier League at bay, in what was the club’s penultimate home game of the season.

Additionally, the Rams travelled to Buckinghamshire knowing they had to get a positive result against the Chairboys to form a gap between themselves and third-place Bolton Wanderers with just three games left.

For Wycombe, they brilliantly put their disappointment at Wembley behind them, but the clash versus the Rams nearly started terribly, as a Ryan Tafazolli back header almost crept past Franco Ravizzoli in the Wycombe goal inside two minutes.

It was an onslaught of Derby attacks as they peppered the Wycombe goal.

First, Corey Blackett-Taylor missed an open goal from a Conor Washington cross inside six minutes, before the latter his attempt was blocked inside the penalty area by Jack Grimmer 10 minutes later.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s resulting corner nearly snuck in, but Ravizzoli tipped the set piece over.

For Wycombe, they had many ‘nearly’ moments but nothing that tested Joe Wildsmith in the Rams goal.

The only shot he needed to stop was from Richard Kone midway through the half.

Instead, Bez Lubala, Kieran Sadlier, Dale Taylor and Matt Butcher all fired their attempts wide of the mark.

The second half was on a knife-edge, as Joe Low and Gideon Kodua had Wycombe’s best attempts, with Conor Hourihane and James Collins tried their luck to give Derby a lead in the final 15 minutes.  

Wanderers continued to push for a winner as Sam Vokes was thrown on in the dying embers, as the Chairboys thought they had secured all three points.

With seconds remaining, a slip from keeper Wildsmith allowed Vokes in with an open goal, but the shot-stopper quickly made amends and headed the ball away whilst on the turf.

It would have been an incredible way to win the game for Wycombe, and a cruel way to lose for Derby.

The result means the Rams stay second but have played one game more than third-place Bolton, whilst Wanderers move up to 14th.

The Chairboys need two more points to officially be safe from relegation.

Up next for Wycombe is a trip to Shrewsbury Town on April 13.