Rams lose their heads
ROONEY: IT’S MUST-WIN AT SWANSEA NOW
TOM CRUISE is in town and Wayne Rooney might want a word about what is starting to look like a mission impossible.
Cruise is filming for Mission Impossible 7 in a disused quarry in Derbyshire, while Rooney has an epic battle to keep Derby from falling off a cliff and into League One.
The Rams were a goal up after 36 minutes but were beaten by two Lukas Jutkiewicz second-half headers that made Birmingham City safe from relegation, but put Derby in grave danger.
Thanks to the supporting cast around them at the bottom of the Championship all losing, Derby can still save themselves.
Jutkiewicz took his personal run of season-saving Blues goals to five in Lee Bowyer’s eight games. And Derby boss
Rooney badly needs some firepower like that as he goes into the last two matches of the season vulnerable to a revival from Rotherham, who have two games in hand on the Rams, and Sheffield Wednesday, who are at Pride Park on the last day.
“Lapses of concentration, the two key moments, cost us the game,” said Rooney.
“I’m feeling frustrated. I felt today was a chance to put ourselves in a very good position if we’d won.
“The other sides around us have lost and we haven’t taken advantage. On the other hand it still gives us a chance.
“The games are running out and other teams have to pick up points and are under pressure. But we can’t keep relying on other teams.
“We keep on
letting opportunities slip. We have to win on Saturday at Swansea.”
The last time the Rams were relegated into the third tier it was the old Third Division, and 36 years ago.
A return now would be a disaster, both for rookie boss Rooney and the proposed £60million Erik Alonso takeover.
But one win in 13 and five successive defeats for the first time in 10 years tells its own story.
Colin Kazimrichards’ goal was his first in 11 games and it should have given Derby a platform to build on.
Kazim-richards tapped in after wing-back Lee Buchanan squared a pass to him.
But Birmingham took over in the second half, as Bowyer exchanged skill for strength with his substitutions. One sub,
Alen Halilovic, hit the post but it was ‘the Juke’ who did the damage.
Marc Roberts’ long throw undid Derby after 62 minutes, Jutkiewicz heading in from a few feet, and six minutes from time he threw himself forward to connect with a cross from another substitute, Mikel San Jose.
“I didn’t think we’d be safe with two games to go,” admitted Bowyer. “It’s some achievement and up there with anything I have done in my career as a player or as a manager.”
DERBY: Roos 6; Byrne 6, Edmundson 7, Clarke 8, Forsyth 7; Knight 6 (Jozwiak 87), Shinnie 7
(Roberts 87); Waghorn 6, Lawrence 6, Buchanan 6 (Sibley 75, 5); Kazim-richards 7 (Bird 75, 5).
Unused Subs: Marshall,cashin, Ebosele, Mcdonald, Watson.
BIRMINGHAM: Etheridge 6; Colin 7, Roberts 7, Dean 7, Pedersen 6; Gardner 6 (San Jose 53, 5),
Sunjic 7; Leko 6 (Miller 75, 5), Mcgree 6 (Halilovic 53,
5), Seddon 6 (Sanchez 45, 5); Jutkiewicz 9.
Unused Subs: Trueman, Friend, Bela, Cosgrove, Harper.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Lukas Jutkiewicz. His goals are keeping Birmingham in the Championship.
REFEREE: Robert Jones 6.