Wycombe Wanderers 1-2 Derby County: Andre Wisdom nets injury-time winner for Rams against Chairboys
- Published
Wycombe's Uche Ikpeazu scored at both ends to leave the scores level
Andre Wisdom's injury-time strike earned rejuvenated Derby County a fifth win in six games and dramatic victory over fellow Championship strugglers Wycombe Wanderers.
Wisdom scored his first ever league goal on his 183rd appearance, following up to crash the ball home after Martyn Waghorn's free-kick had hit the post.
Wycombe striker Uche Ikpeazu had earlier scored at both ends as the division's basement side came from behind and looked set to earn a point.
Ikpeazu gifted the Rams the opening goal when he could only turn a vicious Waghorn corner into his own net, but he made amends when he scored from the penalty spot early in the second half.
The hosts had the better of the second half, but Wayne Rooney's side's stood firm and snatched a vital victory that takes them above fierce rivals Nottingham Forest and into 16th place, six points clear of the relegation zone.
Wycombe's stunning 3-2 comeback victory over Huddersfield Town on Saturday was just their fourth league win of the season and still left them 10 points from safety.
But the togetherness left boss Gareth Ainsworth proud at the way his side came out "swinging" as they look to beat overwhelming odds and stay in the second tier for a second successive season.
The battling qualities were once again in evidence, forcing Derby to spend much of the first half dealing with the home side's considerable aerial threat, but the visitors did so stoically and took the lead from a set-piece of their own.
Waghorn had a shot deflected just wide before his fine corner went in off the towering figure of Ikpeazu.
Daryl Horgan had a goal controversially disallowed for offside before the leveller came when Derby's Jason Knight tripped namesake Josh Knight in the box and Ikpeazu sent keeper David Marshall the wrong way with his spot-kick.
Wycombe looked the most likely winners thereafter, Anis Mehmeti going closest with a powerful strike from the edge of the area.
But the Rams finished impressively and, soon after Colin Kazim-Richards wasted a glorious chance, Wisdom proved the unlikely match-winner with just the third senior goal of his career.
Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth: "I couldn't ask for any more from my players.
"I could have asked for more from a couple of other people, which I won't get myself in trouble for, but I thought we were outstanding.
"We were really, really good and I will focus now on the positives, not the negatives, because there are too many to mention.
"The officials I didn't think were good enough at all - and I could go into some major detail because it was terrible. If they actually look into some of the decisions that have gone against us I'll be astounded, but I'm so proud of the boys."
Derby County boss Wayne Rooney: "I'm delighted with the three points, but I'm really disappointed and angry with our performance. It wasn't good enough.
"We have to perform better. We have to believe in ourselves that we're a better team than that and we have to play better football than we did.
"I believe a lot in these players. I believe they're a good team and we've got more quality than maybe they think, so they have to believe in themselves now.
"We knew it was going to be a battle - we needed to adapt and hang in there at times, which we did, but I just felt we could make the game a bit easier for ourselves."