The match against Matlock Town, which was due to take place at Derby County's Pride Park stadium, was called off at lunchtime on Tuesday because of a waterlogged pitch.

And with the game rescheduled for next Tuesday, May 5, at Chesterfield FC's Saltergate ground, Reed faces a big task to rally his players.

"It's ludicrous, Reed told the Advertiser. "It was called off at 12.30pm, how could they make the decision more than seven hours before the game?

"It was just farcical.

"The players are absolutely devastated. They were looking forward to what should have been a fantastic evening and had their friends and families coming along. I even had family coming along to watch me for the first time in about five years.

"The players have taken it very badly and five or six of them have said they don't want to play now. I've got a big job now to lift them for next Tuesday.

"We want to win this for the fans. We want to win it because we haven't won it for 23 years. We will be giving it 100 per cent but I've still got to try and get the players back on board. They are just distraught.

"For players such as Tommy Agus, playing at Pride Park would probably be the best pitch he's every played on.

"No disrespect to Saltergate but from Pride Park to Chesterfield is a little bit different.

"Lets hope that it will be a good day and maybe whoever plays in the final next year will get to play at Chesterfield's new ground."

He added: "I sent somebody to the ground at 4.30pm on Tuesday and I know for sure there was nothing wrong with the pitch. That pitch was perfectly playable. Derby County have got one of the best draining pitches in the league.

"I was just down the road on Tuesday night at Ilkeston which is probably less than 15 miles from Derby and the pitch at Ilkeston never cut up at all.

"Unfortunately Buxton and Matlock have got dragged into something going off with Derby County officials and the DFA. I don't think from day one Derby County had wanted the match on that pitch but we would have been quite happy at Buxton or Matlock.

"We had three coaches and three minibuses going on Tuesday and we think there were about 700 people going from Buxton with about another 400 from Matlock so there could have been 1300/1400 people there. Now it will be interesting if there is even 1000 people there.

"If there is I've got it wrong but we've said from day one we should let it stay as it was, a two legged final.

"This has just made a complete and utter mockery of the competition and made it look less than a Sunday League cup.

"It was the first time we were in the final of the competition for 23 years and it should have been a joyous occasion.

"I have to say though, it is 100 per cent Derby County's fault, it is nothing to do with the Derbyshire FA.

"I don't think I'll feel any remorse now if we lose. This has completely demeaned the competition without a shadow of a doubt.

"I've had 16 cup finals in my managerial career and had some brilliant times. Cup finals are a very, very special affair but now Derby County have spoilt that.

"It was a bad day for football. It must be the first ever cup final in history where I've known it to be a shocking day on what should have been a very, very good day.

"We've got to learn from this experience and it was a very nasty experience."

Bitterly disappointed Derbyshire FA county secretary Keith Compton said: "The DFA have been inundated with emails from disappointed fans, some of whom travelled from Scunthorpe for the game, all of whom have said they can't believe in view of Tuesday's afternoon weather that the pitch was unfit."

A Derby County spokesperson said: "The weather was horrendous. There was standing water on the pitch and we couldn't risk allowing it to go ahead. We didn't know how conditions were going to develop and quite simply the pitch was unplayable. We had to make a decision. It is not a
decision we took lightly.

"We can't do anything about the weather and there was torrential rain in Derby.

"We think a lot of the criticism is unfair and we hope that people in football will understand."