Rowett opens Derby account as Vydra pounces for winner
Scott Carson into a fingertip save before substitute Idrissa Sylla hit the post with a free header from a corner in the 88th minute.
“If we had lost the points like that after such a dominant performance through lack of concentration it would have been cruel and we have to do better in that respect but overall I was really pleased,” Rowett said. “It was really important to build on how we finished the game at Forest and I think we did.”
As it was, Matej Vydra’s third goal in four matches proved to be the match winner after Derby had been comfortably the better side for much of the game. Johnny Russell, their biggest threat, might have had a first-half hat-trick. Vydra, the Czech Republic striker signed from Watford last summer for £8million, pounced after Rangers keeper Alex Smithies spilled a shot from the edge of the penalty area by Tom Ince.
Holloway readily conceded that Derby were the better side as Rangers suffered only their second defeat in eight matches.
“The best team won,” he said. “We were very disappointing as an attacking force, compared with how we have been. They caused a lot more problems than we did. If we’d have scored at the end we would have nicked it, wouldn’t we?”
Derby look much improved compared with the poor form that led to McClaren’s dismissal this month but this was only their second win in 11 Championship matches and a late push for a playoff place is surely beyond them now, even though the gap between the Rams and the top six is temporarily down to only six points.