Bennett channels his inner Bale

DERBY 2 WIGAN 1

FRANK LAMPARD compared Mason Bennett’s wondrous equaliser to Gareth Bale’s Champions League final goal after his Derby side staged a comeback victory over Wigan to reignite their promotion hopes. Derby were staring at a fifth successive loss when Bennett met Scott Malone’s cross with great invention, twisting his body and flicking a volley over his shoulder from 15 yards. The ball soared over Wigan goalkeeper Jamie Jones for Derby’s first Championship goal in 420 minutes. Lampard’s side won the game with 12 minutes left when Malone tapped in Jayden Bogle’s cross-cum-shot to spark jubilation at Pride Park. Lampard said the result, which lifted his side level on points with sixthplaced Bristol City, was his proudest moment as Derby manager and enthused about Bennett’s improvisation. ‘It was an incredible strike,’ Lampard said. ‘The last time I felt like that was when Gareth Bale scored his overhead kick in the Champions League final — the whole was stadium was aghast. ‘It was an impossible angle and a split-second adjustment. Some cynical people will say he didn’t mean it, but he did.’ Wigan took a first-half lead when Gavin Massey finished off a counterattack by putting the ball through Scott Carson’s legs. Defeat leaves Wigan three points above the drop zone, but manager Paul Cook said: ‘I’ve got great faith in the players.’