Baldock bags debut winner to give Rooney a huge lift
SAM BALDOCK and Phil Jagielka came to the rescue to help ease the pressure on Derby manager Wayne Rooney.
Baldock’s debut strike 12 minutes into the second half sealed Derby’s first league win in 10 games.
Jagielka, 39 earlier this week, joined forces with fellow veteran Curtis Davies at the back to shut out the Tigers.
Derby are under an EFL transfer embargo after failing to file three lots of annual accounts, but were given permission to sign former Everton favourite Jagielka and fellow free agent Baldock on short-term deals until January.
Rooney has had a baptism of fire in his first job in management – but the under-scrutiny Scouser was happy enough to see his troops take a step in the right direction.
Derby were the better side throughout, and they could have been out of sight by half-time.
Kamil Jozwiak came closest to rewarding their early dominance when the Poland midfielder sprinted onto Max Bird’s raking pass to cut inside and fire against the inside of the post.
A swift counterattack from their own box ended with Ravel Morrison’s curling effort forcing a fullstretch save from busy Tigers keeper Matt Ingram.
Baldock was guilty of wasting another chance for the Rams as he tried to beat the keeper at his near post.
The 32-year-old made no mistake after the break, sliding home a close-range winner after Ingram failed to hold Lee Buchanan’s low drive.