RAM RAID Cocu: We smashed it and grabbed back self-belief

TOM LAWRENCE’S explosive shot gave Derby their first away win in the league since last summer.

Back then folks in Washington were giving Wayne Rooney their support, rather than Donald Trump.

There, Rooney was seeing out his final days Stateside with DC United.

Here, he provided the guile and the know-how as Derby came from 2-1 down to further dent Swansea’s play-off hopes.

The Swans fell a goal down to Martyn Waghorn, turned things around with two goals in two minutes through Yan Dhanda and Kyle Naughton, but then got caught by two razorsharp counter-attacks.

The first gave Duane Holmes the chance to halfvolley for 2-2, the second ended with Lawrence firing a blistering shot past a startled Freddie Woodman.

It might be a stretch to say Derby are now play-off contenders, but manager Phillip Cocu knew this was a significant result and admitted: “Everybody knew that the away games have been an issue – and then we conceded two goals in two minutes.

“To get back the belief that we could win the game again isn’t easy, so I’ve got a lot of respect for the team.

“In the last couple of games Tom has returned to the form he had earlier in the season.

“He has a great ability to take shots. He can hit a curved shot from outside to inside and his shots today were the ones that are really difficult for a goalkeeper to catch, even if they reach it.”

It was Lawrence’s dipping shot in the eighth minute that proved too hot for Woodman (above) to handle and although he pushed the ball onto the post, Waghorn swept in the rebound.

Swansea brought Dhanda off the bench at the interval and he struck a superb 25-yard angled drive for the equaliser.

Derby got the jitters and when a cross was flapped at by keeper Ben Hamer, Naughton made it 2-1 to the home side.

But Rooney’s calm influence was apparent as Holmes and then Lawrence turned things around. Cocu added of Rooney: “He provides quality, he’s a class player and he has character.

“He’s seen how we work now and his influence is getting bigger.”

Swans boss Steve Cooper admitted: “We shot ourselves in the foot really. I think we gave the three points to Derby rather than them earning them.”