Forsyth wins deduction derby for Rooney

DERBY 1 READING 0

THREE points to enjoy, for however long they last. Small mercies to savour, before even darker days dawn. Victories like this — sealed by Craig Forsyth’s first goal in five years — will likely prove in vain for Derby. Last night, though, Wayne Rooney’s side at least hauled themselves out of the red. This win took them to the heady tally of one. Financial woe has already cost Derby 12 points. The further penalties that lurk can’t push them lower down the table, only closer to the trap door. Punishment looms for Reading, too. They are braced to lose up to nine points for their own money troubles. This won’t help their cause to limit that damage, as the deduction derby went to Rooney and Co.

As adverts go, this was pretty grim. The health of English football, even slightly below the iceberg’s tip, has rarely looked more bleak. At least that shared suffering allowed for solidarity in the stands. It took only a few minutes for both sets of supporters to come together and make plain their mutual feelings towards the EFL. Around them, what should have been a midtable clash broke out. Derby could hardly have looked worse than their points tally, but they were good value for their half-time lead. Though Reading had openings — Baba Rahman and Tom Dele-Bashiru forced smart saves from Ryan Allsop — Derby looked the more likely even before Forsyth sent a looping header back across goal and over Luke Southwood. Cue more gallows humour — or defiance: these Rams are staying up, apparently. To their credit, Derby’s players don’t look like resigned to their fate. They played with vibrancy and invention and their lead could have been two had Tom Lawrence’s shot found its way through a mass of bodies. Or had substitute Jack Stretton provided the finish a sharp counter deserved. Derby almost paid the price but Allsop was there once more to deny John Swift.