And so the curtain finally fell on a miserable npower Championship season for Derby County as the Rams lost 2-1 at Reading’s Madejski Stadium.
This game, like so many before it this season, saw the Rams become the architects of their own downfall.
Robbie Savage, playing his final game as a professional footballer, got caught in possession, Russell Anderson made a clumsy challenge, and Ian Harte converted the penalty. 1-0.
Jamie Ward briefly raised Rams hopes when he scored with an accurate shot from outside the penalty area. 1-1.
All square at half-time but only because Ian Harte hit the post with a second penalty, conceded this time by Daniel Ayala.
Reading won the points with a goal through Hal Robson-Kanu – Dean Leacock and debutant goalkeeper Ross Atkins could’ve done more to prevent the ball falling to him – and will take momentum into the play-offs.
The Rams finish 19th (down from 14th last season) with 49 points from 46 games, the lowest ever points total by a Derby County team over a 46 game season. In total, 23 defeats, exactly half the games played.
Derby County ended the season with a hugely disappointing four consecutive defeats which will do nothing but make the Rams favourites to follow Sheffield United into League One next season.
The summer is massive now for the club. President and Chief Executive Tom Glick and Nigel Clough have a mountainous amount of work to do if the Rams are to be play-off contenders next season.
Big promises have been made. Glick has promised significant investment in the playing staff, Clough says he wants six, seven, eight, even ten new players, including six of proven Championship experience.
Clough even hinted we could be prepared to pay as much as £3 million for the right striker.
The silly season of speculation and rumours has already started. After Frank Fielding, Jamie Ward, and possibly Theo Robinson have signed, I wait eagerly to see whether the next player through the door will be a big name like Michael Owen, a Premier League player like Lee Bowyer, a Championship Player like Billy Jones, or a lower league player like Saul Halpin.
That first new player will set the tone.