Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock believes Sheffield Wednesday have every chance of taking their scrap for survival to the final day at Derby County, Hartlepool Mail report.
Boro backed up their 2-1 midweek win at fellow strugglers Rotherham United with a 3-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.
Boro’s win meant the Owls could have been relegated, but Derby failed to see out their 1-0 lead over Birmingham City as they crashed to a disappointing 2-1 defeat.
Derby have now lost five Championship games in succession.
The Rams’ latest result still gives Wednesday hopes of survival, and Boro boss Warnock believes a final day showdown at Pride Park couldn’t have been planned better.
“They [Sheffield Wednesday] have to beat Forest and I think they are capable of beating anybody on their home patch, it’s not an easy place to play and the pitch isn’t very good. If they beat Forest, Derby are under immense pressure so there is always something that turns up at the end of the season. When you look at that last fixture you couldn’t plan it any better,” Warnock explained.
Derby face playoff hopefuls Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium next week.
Wednesday, meanwhile, host Derby’s east Midlands rivals Forest at Hillsborough.
Forest ensured their Championship safety with a draw against Stoke City this weekend, and some Reds supporters will no doubt hope their side fails to turn up at Hillsborough.
A Derby defeat coupled with Wednesday avoiding defeat would give the Owls the chance to leapfrog Wayne Rooney’s side on the final day thanks to a superior goal difference.
Rotherham, however, could still throw a spanner in the works as the Millers have two games in hand on both Derby and Wednesday while sitting four points from safety.
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