Wayne Rooney's troubled first season in management will extend into an agonising final week after defensive lapses plunged his team further into the relegation mire.
Not even the four-day bonding session in South Wales that preceded this latest defeat could help them summon up the will to hold on against opponents already assured of a play-off place.
His Derby team find themselves only three points above Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham, with the latter having a game in hand and two games left as opposed to the one of their rivals, who will meet next weekend.