ROTHERHAM 0
TOM INCE is beginning to live up to his Twitter hashtag even if he still needs some lessons on how to score from the spot.
Derby boss Steve McClaren has given @therealthomasince licence to roam and the result is a real deal for the Rams.
Two goals from Ince and another by Darren Bent confirmed the prematch prediction that this would be a stroll in what will soon be known again as Pride Park – and how welcome is that re-naming by the way?
But it could have been better for both the team and for Ince, who won two penalties, took them and saw them both saved by Derby old boy Lee Camp.
Ince made amends with the first one, knocking in the rebound. But the second, which would have completed his hattrick, was pushed out by Camp.
McClaren admitted: “Good job he got the rebound! I was surprised that Benty didn’t grab the ball for the second one but Tom wanted the hat-trick.”
Ince, a big-name, big-money arrival from Hull has made a slow start to this season but McClaren has taken off the shackles.
The County manager added: “He needs to be consistent. He is a Premier League player and that has to be every day in training, every Saturday he plays.”
McClaren has now seen his team win four, draw one and lose one of his six games in charge. This was a third successive victory Possession Shots On Target Shots Off Target Blocked Shots Corners Fouls Conceded Offsides Yellow Cards Red Cards 63% 37% 11 1 7 1 3 6 5 7 6 19 2 0 0 2 0 0 which puts them into the top half of the table.
Rotherham also have a new manager in Kenny Jackett, who tried to put a brave face on it after the eighth defeat in nine games.
“The short and long term is to improve. The table doesn’t look good, the goals against doesn’t look good,” said Jackett.
A reasonable start was blown away with two goals in four minutes. After Ince’s opener, Bent scored his second League goal of the season.
Then from Bradley Johnson’s long header Ince was clinical.
Minutes later he was brought down by Joe Mattock and saw his second spot-kick saved to show he is not quite yet the real deal.