Rooney vows to chase miracle as Derby spirit shocks Parker’s side
Sky Bet Championship
Days after a second points deduction left them, in manager Wayne Rooney’s words, needing “a miracle” to avoid relegation to League One, Derby County delivered their best result of the season to stop Bournemouth returning to the top of the Championship.
Two goals from captain Tom Lawrence enabled them to come from behind and leave Scott Parker’s side second behind Fulham, who are Derby’s next opponents at Craven Cottage on Wednesday.
The result comes just five days after Derby’s 12-point penalty for going into administration in September was increased to 21, with a further nine points docked for breaches of accounting rules. The club are in debt by almost £60million, but have a prospective new owner in American businessman Chris Kirchner waiting in the wings.
Derby’s points tally now stands at zero, leaving them 15 points from safety with 28 matches left, but Rooney insisted that his team would never stop fighting. “We have to be realistic, there’s a small chance of us staying up, we know that,” Rooney said. “But there’s an opportunity to perform a miracle, and while that chance is there, we’ll give it a go.
“We’re not going to come into training for the sake of it, and we’ll fight on the pitch to get as many points as we can. The majority of the squad is out of contract. They’re playing for their futures and their families’ futures, and they can’t afford to not give everything.”
Jason Knight put Derby in front with a free header at a corner, but Bournemouth led 2-1 at half-time with goals from Jaidon Anthony and Dominic Solanke, looking well placed to pick up an 11th win in 13 matches. Lawrence put Derby back on terms with a brilliant goal, curled in from the left, and then kept his nerve from the penalty spot.
Derby County (4-3-3) Roos; Ebosele (Stearman 83), Jagielka, Davies, Buchanan (Forsyth 90+7); Thompson, Bird, Shinnie; Knight, Baldock (Kazim-richards 22), Lawrence. Subs Allsop (g), Jozwiak, Morrison, Kellyman. Bournemouth (4-2-3-1) Travers; Stacey, Cahill, Mepham, Davis (Lowe 75); Lerma (Rogers 75), L Cook (Kilkenny 61); Christie, Billing, Anthony; Solanke. Nyland (g), S Cook, Marcondes, Moriah-welsh. Billing.
Gavin Ward (Surrey).