One highlight and one lowlight from Sheffield Wednesday’s 3-1 defeat to Derby County

Our man Alex Miller takes a look at one high and one low from their 14th league defeat of the season.

Highlight

In all the doom and gloom there are glimmers of something developing on the Wednesday right, with Jacob Murphy again offering an encouraging performance.

His pace and direction won out in the only man-to-man win for the Owls, with left-back Craig Forsyth whiplashed by the Newcastle loanee’s probing running.

Murphy took five shots at goal, equalling his highest tally in Owls colours and attempted 17 crosses on an afternoon that saw little in the way of imagination from the rest of the team.

He faded a touch in the second period with Wednesday’s preferred route of attack shifting to the middle, but it was another decent afternoon for the winger, who appears to be growing in confidence despite his side’s ongoing struggles.

Lowlight

Garry Monk praised Wednesday fans for their patience and support in not booing the side after their 3-0 defeat to Reading a fortnight ago.

And while the boos were only interrupted by strains of ‘you’re not fit to wear the shirt’ at half-time this time out, any full-time protests were strangled at best, more out of apathy than acceptance, you suspect.

The attendance was up on Wednesday’s win over Charlton but large gaps in the crowd remain and swelled as early as the half-hour mark as Derby scored their third.

A video displayed on social media shows hundreds pouring out of Hillsborough. It’s a cycle that is difficult to turn around.