We descended upon Pride Park in our thousands for arguably the biggest match of our season so far.

Despite Bolton’s national dish, a meat and potato pasty barm being available, it was over a draught Doombar and Chicken Balti pie, that we discussed out chances.

If we could perform like we did at Barnsley and against Oxford, then a win would put us in pole position, a draw would keep us right in the mix, whilst a defeat would be a huge blow to our hopes of an automatic promotion place. Which Wanderers would turn up?

The ground was full, the biggest League 1 crowd of the season, the atmosphere was brilliant, and it was the Bolton Boys making all the noise as the Wanderers dominated from the start.

Only their goalie, Joe Wildsmith kept them in the game, with two fantastic saves from Bodvarsson and Thomason, while the referee feebly fell for their dark arts, calling timeouts for feigned injuries, breaking our play up and slowing down the proceedings.

Then disaster struck in the 75th minute when we failed to defend a corner and they scored with their only chance. We were stunned. The Derby crowd finally woke up.

Don’t ask me how but we had lost this match and come away with nothing. Gutted does not begin to describe my feelings. We had put in a decent performance, we were ahead on all the stats, except the one that matters, the goal scored.

Even their manager, Paul Warne, thought that we deserved something.

It is points not praise that we want and need at this time of the season. We do not want pats on the back with nothing to show for it. It is no good being the best footballing team without making our chances count by sticking the ball in the net.

We are all in this together, the players, management, and fans together. Ian Evatt and the players will be as gutted as we are, with this result. But it’s not over by a long way. It has got hugely more difficult for the automatic spot but not impossible.

Let’s sulk for a couple of days, then get our heads up and come roaring back at Stevenage.