Derby County hauled themselves back from the brink of a humiliating FA Cup third round defeat against Sheffield Wednesday at Pride Park.
Coca-Cola Championship strugglers Wednesday led 2-0 after just 23 minutes courtesy of goals from 18-year-old Mark Beevers and former Rams striker Marcus Tudgay.
But one-time Wednesday manager Paul Jewell will return to his old Hillsborough stamping ground as Kenny Miller and Giles Barnes salvaged a third round replay.
For 35 minutes, though, Derby were as bad - if not worse - than they have been at any stage of what has been an abysmal season, and it was no wonder they were the target of taunts from over 5,500 Owls fans.
When Lewis Price handed 18-year-old centre-back Beevers the first goal of his fledgling career in the eighth minute, the Wednesday followers broke into a chorus of ‘that's why you're going down.'
That one incident summed up in a nutshell Derby's campaign as it was an error of their own making, and from an international into the bargain. There was no danger for Welshman Price as he dived low to his right onto Beevers' 20-yard drive, only to inexplicably spill the ball and watch ashen-faced as it trundled over his own goal-line.
But Derby's failings did not stop there as in the 15th minute Craig Fagan side-footed over an open goal from six yards after a left-wing cross from Gary Teale had bounced off the bar.
Then midway through the half Darren Moore joined the error-prone club as he attempted to back flick a ball on to Price. But the veteran centre-back barely got off the ground as the ball skimmed off the top of his head and fell into the path of Tudgay.
The 24-year-old then scored his first goal since October 27, ending a 12-match drought, with a precise shot inside the left-hand post.
Prior to kick-off, Argentinian striker Emanuel Villa had been paraded to Rams fans following his £2million move from Mexican side UAG Tasco. Villa could have been forgiven for wanting to tear up his three-and-a-half year contract at that point and take the first plane back to south America.
Danny Mills, signed on loan from Manchester City until the end of the season, must also have wondered what he had managed to get himself into. Mercifully for Derby and Jewell, Brian Laws' side are not one point off the relegation zone in the Championship for nothing.
By rights, the Rams were that bad they had no right to be on level terms going into the break, but remarkably that is was transpired.
A defensive reshuffle at least initially offered greater stability as Tyrone Mears limped off in the 32nd minute, allowing Mills to switch from left to right back. Michael Johnson, who recently enjoyed three months on loan with Wednesday and was lauded by Owls fans, filled Mills' role, and from that moment the visitors barely threatened.
Seven minutes from the break, Scotland striker Miller gave Derby hope as he made amends for a miss just two minutes earlier when he only had Lee Grant to beat. Grant had also denied Miller just after the half hour, but he had no chance with a shot on the turn from 15 yards following a ball into the area from Fagan.
Then in the 44th minute Barnes capitalised on inept defending from Wednesday at a corner, allowing the 19-year-old to fire home a left-foot shot from 15 yards.
With the goals came confidence, and Derby should have clinched a place in the fourth-round as they had the chances in the second half.
Within a minute Eddie Lewis dawdled on a shot following a fine run by Teale, while Barnes saw a 20-yard shot deflected inches wide.
Johnson also headed narrowly over and Barnes cleared the bar with a 25-yard free-kick before Grant pulled off a superb save to turn aside Teale's close-range volley.
Wednesday went close via a downward header from Tudgay that was saved on the line by Price, while another former Ram in Deon Burton had a goal disallowed late on.
Thankfully Jewell was not left tearing his hair out at another late goal conceded by his side, and will now head back to his former club on Tuesday week.
