Pressure still on Rooney thanks to Liverpool loanee
Wayne Rooney and Derby County face an anxious end to the season in their battle to avoid relegation from the Championship, after falling to a costly defeat by out-of-form Blackburn.
A winning goal midway through the second half from Harvey Elliott – on loan from Liverpool, no less – leaves Rooney’s team nervously looking over their shoulders as their dreadful run extended to one win in 11 games.
They failed to put any distance between themselves and thirdbottom Rotherham, who are four points behind with three games in hand. However, Rooney is convinced there is enough in his squad to avoid playing the likes of Fleetwood and Accrington in League One next season.
“It’s a disappointing result,” he admitted. “We didn’t deserve to lose, but I can’t keep saying this. Now we have to get ready for Preston
on Tuesday, which really is must-win.
“But I truly believe in this group of players. They’re good enough to stay up and I truly believe we will stay up.”
Goalscoring has been a problem all season for Derby, but midfielder Tom Lawrence provided a lifeline midway through the first half, heading in Graeme Shinnie’s cross.
But rather than grab a second, their advantage was wiped out by Sam Gallagher, who headed the equaliser just before half-time.
Rooney needed David Marshall, his goalkeeper, in the second half as he denied Rovers’ leading scorer, Adam Armstrong, three times. But Scotland’s No1 was beaten when Elliott blasted a shot that was too hot for Marshall to keep out.
Lawrence then had a free-kick saved by Thomas Kaminski, Nathan Byrne steered the rebound against a post and Colin Kazim-richards had a header parried as Derby’s search for a point came to nothing.
There was also fury in the last seconds of injury time, when substitute Festy Ebosele tumbled in the area and no penalty was given, prompting Rooney to react angrily about referee Stephen Martin. “It’s the most clear penalty,” he said. “I know being a referee is a tough job, but that was completely unacceptable.”
As Rooney fumed, the result brought relief for Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray as his side recorded only their second win in 16 games to all but secure their Championship future.