Barton's folly drives Rams to a Bolder response

An extraordinary match in which Derby County found themselves a goal and a man down after a miserable opening half eventually gave way to a pulsating encounter.The home side overcame their handicap to lead 2-1 inside the last 20 minutes but were ultimately restricted to a draw after relegation-threatened Wednesday clawed back a potentially precious point.

Wednesday, who slipped to the bottom of the table because Brighton won at Bradford, had led after 15 minutes and had been good value for it. Much as Derby matched them for work-rate, there was a hunger about the visitors that the home side at first appeared unable to match.

While Wednesday warmed to their survival task, just as they had in recovering a 2-0 deficit against Norwich last weekend, Warren Barton counted the cost of a first half he will not want to dwell on. The veteran Derby skipper handed the visitors the lead by turning Michael Reddy's low cross into his own net before leaving his side properly in the lurch with a 27th-minute red card.

Barton brought down Reddy from behind, denying the on-loan Sunderland forward a strike on goal, and anticipated his fate, casting off his captain's arm band even before the referee Michael Ryan had reached into his pocket.

Derby manager John Gregory's decision to replace left back Luciano Zavagno with central defender Pablo Mills shortly after Barton's dismissal was not well received, even though there were sound tactical reasons for the substitution.

But the change he made at half-time was soon vindicated as Derby drew level. Fabrizio Ravanelli, on the bench for the third game in a row after missing almost six months of action, replaced Izale McLeod and played a part in the equalising goal seven minutes into the second half, getting a touch to Georgi Kinkladze's cross before Adam Bolder, pouncing on the loose ball, drove in his fifth goal of the season.

And it was Kinkladze who turned the match at least temporarily in Derby's favour. Enjoying more freedom after Carl Robinson took over man-marking duties from Darryl Powell, the Georgian playmaker breached Wednesday's defence with an inch-perfect ball to Lee Morris, who in turn directed a square pass for Bolder to tap home his second of the afternoon.

But Wednesday manager Chris Turner countered with a decisive double change of his own, substitutes Shefki Kuqi and Tony Crane combining to drag the visitors back on level terms again eight minutes from time. This increased the home side's anger that referee Ryan failed to give a penalty when Carl Robinson appeared clearly to bring down Morris, although it took a formidable save by Lee Grant from Brian Barry- Murphy and two goal-line clearances to deny Wednesday a late winner.

Derby County 2
Bolder 53, 70

Sheffield Wednesday 2
Barton og 16, Crane 83

Half-time 0-1 Attendance: 26,311