Rooney: Play-off push still on for us

DERBY County player-coach Wayne Rooney insists the Rams can still make a push for the Championship play-offs this season, despite their latest defeat.

A 3-2 loss to Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Wednesday night leaves Derby in 13th place in the Championship table, 10 points adrift of the top six.

Rooney, making his ninth appearance for the Rams, admitted it was a tough loss but firmly believes that a push for the play-offs is still possible with 14 League matches to go.

“It was a bad game to lose, we could have gone a lot closer to the play-offs,” he said.

“We have a home game on Saturday (against Huddersfield Town) and there’s still plenty of time for us to have that push to make them.

“I think we have to just keep playing, trying to get wins.

“There’s a still a long time to go in the league, so if we can put ourselves into a good position going into the last few games then that’s when the pressure will be on us.”

Bristol City boss Lee Johnson said his side needed to put in a “huge amount of effort” to beat the Rams.

Johnson reserved praise for January signing Nahki Wells, who scored the Robins’ first goal, but said his side could have prevented Derby’s late resurgence.

“Goalscorers win you games and we have brought Nahki Wells in to do just that,” said Johnson.

“I have had some really good strikers here during my time in charge but in terms of cold, calculating finishing he is the best.

“You can see that by watching him work on the training ground. His goal has changed the game and, hopefully, there will be a lot more to come.

“It wouldn’t be us if we didn’t give our fans a scare. But you have to put in a huge amount of effort to be three up on a team as good as Derby.

“I think we could have managed the game better in the closing stages but overall I am delighted with the result and the way our supporters stuck with the team when we were under pressure at the end.”