Rooney’s late pain as Siriki pounces to snatch first victory
WAYNE ROONEY must be wondering how steep his managerial learning curve is going to get.
The Derby boss admitted his frustration as his side tossed away the chance of victory by shipping two goals after the fourth official had signalled 11 minutes of added time.
Siriki Dembele struck the last-gasp winner in the 100th minute after Harrison Burrows had earlier cancelled out Jack Stretton’s opening goal.
And that turnaround came after Rooney had seen his only senior striker, Colin KazimRichards, stretchered off with a serious looking leg injury.
The Rams manager said: “I feel frustrated.
“Lapses in concentration have cost us and it’s results that matter in the end.
“We let a runner go for the first goal and then a mistake for the second and that happens.
“But the one thing you can’t question the players’ attitude and their hard work.
“It’s frustrating to concede the goals the way we did and we deserved to win.
“But if you don’t keep your concentration for
90 minutes you get punished.”
Stretton replaced Kazim-Richards, who pulled up after an innocuous challenge just after the restart.
And the youngster wasted no time making an impression by firing home from a Ravel Morrison knock-down after Peterborough failed to clear a 77thminute corner.
With Derby unable to bring in any more players because of EFL restrictions on the size of the club’s squad, Stretton is now the only recognised striker available to Rooney. The manager said: “It’s a great finish by Jack and I’m pleased for him getting his goal.
“But I think the bigger issue is Colin getting his injury and we are left with no recognised senior striker.
“He is going to have a lot of pressure on his hands unless something changes.
“I’m not asking for any favours. That’s where we are.
“That’s where we have been allowed to get to and that’s where we are stuck.” Peterborough appeared set for a third successive defeat of the season until Joe Ward whipped in a low cross that was turned home by Burrows in the first minute of added time.
And Ward was again the provider late on, delivering the ball that forced a mistake from Nathan Byrne that allowed Dembele to pounce from 12 yards.
Posh boss Darren Ferguson said: “I knew with the stoppage time that was going to play a big part because if you are winning the 11 extra minutes gets them going, if you’re losing the extra 11 minutes gets us going.
“We have a great record of coming back in games and it’s important to keep our home form going because it’s going to be vital.”
PETERBOROUGH: Pym 6; Thompson
6, Kent 7, Beevers 7 (Burrows 85th), Butler 6; Ward 8, Norburn 6, Grant 6, Randall 7 (Knight (73rd) 6); ClarkeHarris 6, Marriott 5 (Dembele (62nd) 6) DERBY: Roos 5; Byrne 6, Stearman 7, Davies 7, Forsyth 6; Bird 6, Shinnie 7; Ebosele 6 (Sibley (58th) 6), Lawrence
6, Morrison 6 (Jozwiak 84th); KazimRichards 6 (Stretton (52nd) 7)
Joe Ward
D Webb