HAMER TIME
Rooney’s Rams rocked by Coventry’s late equaliser
DERBY 1
COVENTRY 1
GUSTAVO HAMER struck an injury- time equaliser to keep Derby bottom and potentially deny Wayne Rooney’s managerial career lift off too.
Derby were underwhelming again for much of this fourth game since Phillip Cocu left and they remain on just one win this term.
Caretaker Rooney was celebrating in the dug- out in his second game in sole charge as Colin Kazim- Richards headed the hosts in front on 83 minutes.
It rewarded a strong finish from the home side who were much- improved in the second half. But the Rams blew a chance to clinch victory when sub Jack Stretton hit the bar.
And the Sky Blues punished County when Hamer volleyed in from the top of the box in the closing stages.
Now it remains to be seen if the club’s new incoming ambitious wealthy owner Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan will keep caretaker Rooney in charge.
His £ 60million takeover is set to be rubber- stamped later this week and Chelsea legend John Terry is on his shortlist.
Derby survived a major scare in the 32nd minute after Matthew Clarke’s backpass let in Callum O’Hare, who nipped the ball past David Marshall before going down.
But referee Dean Whitestone waved away the visitors’ appeals, before the Rams belatedly showed some threat, Tom Lawrence putting a dipping free- kick wide.
Coventry then had the ball in the hosts’ net before halftime but Tyler Walker’s excellent header was ruled out for an offside.
After the break, Derby did improve as Lawrence again came close.
Kazim- Richards broke the deadlock seven minutes from time with a downward header from Nathan Byrne’s cross.
The striker’s first goal for the club sparked huge cheers in the home dug- out.
Yet their cheers turned to groans as Hamer’s volley denied them in stoppage time.
DERBY ( 4- 2- 3- 1): Marshall 7; Byrne 7 ( Davies 90), Wisdom 6, Clarke 6, Buchanan 6; Bielik 6, Bird 6; Knight 6, Holmes 7 ( Stretton 80, 6), Lawrence 6 ( Jozwiak 80, 6); Kazim- Richards 8. Goal: KazimRichards 83.
COVENTRY ( 4- 2- 3- 1): Wilson 6; Dabo 6, McFadzean 6, Hyam 6, McCallum 6 ( Ostigard 85); Kelly 7, Hamer 7; O’Hare 7 ( Bakayoko 89), Shipley 6 ( Jobello 77, 6), Giles 6; Walker 6 ( Biamou 77, 6). Goal: Hamer 90+ 1.