GREAT SCOTT’S A LAMPS LIGHTER

Malone comeback king for Frank

FRANK LAMPARD was punching the air with relief last night as his out-of-form Derby side pulled off a secondhalf comeback.

Lampard’s play-off chasers were rescued from a potential fifth straight loss by a brilliant back-flicked goal from sub Mason Bennett before a closerange Scott Malone finish.

Chelsea legend Lampard and the rest of Pride Park were subdued early on as Gavin Massey broke the deadlock in the 25th minute.

The fluent attacking football which characterised Lampard’s early reign, including knocking Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup, had evaporated.

Lampard experimented with a Wilson was given an early chance in the fifth minute when Jack Marriott laid off Malone’s pass.

But the on-loan Liverpool ace sliced a left-foot finish high and wide and the 12-goal attacking ace has now not scored for nine matches.

Wigan keeper Jamie Jones was called into action in the ninth minute to keep a Johnson effort out at the back post from Wilson’s delivery.

But the hosts soon lost their way as their fragile self-belief became all too evident.

It didn’t help that Malone made a naive mistake with an attempted crossfield pass to Wilson after his corner had been cleared.

It was cut out by Michael Jacobs, who raced into the Derby half before finding Massey, who scored with a low right-foot finish under the advancing Scott Carson.

Wigan almost doubled their lead soon after but Leon Clarke headed full-back Nathan Byrne’s cross wide.

Rams supporters resisted the temptation to boo their side off at half-time and were rewarded by Bennett’s special equaliser in the 62nd minute – just five minutes after coming on.

He audaciously flicked in his second goal of the season with a looping left-foot effort from Malone’s cross.

It transformed the hosts, who piled forward searching for the winner and were rewarded when Malone poked in Jayden Bogle’s cross 12 minutes from time after some clever play by Wilson.

The result scarcely looked possible at the break but Bennett’s brilliance transformed the contest – and rekindled Derby’s play-offs hopes.