CHRIS SEEKS CONSOLATION
New boy Martin hopes his Scotland call-up can help ease his pain after QPR inflict agony in Wembley showdown
THE Scottish contingent at Derby County join up with Gordon Strachan’s squad tonight still wondering how on earth the only international colleague who booked his place in the English top flight yesterday was Matt Phillips.
Craig Bryson, Craig Forsyth and Chris Martin have caps for consolation this week after the Premier League dream was snatched from their grasp by a cruel smash and grab 10 seconds from the end of a game they dominated.
And so the distraught trio watched in disbelief, along with Johnny Russell, as Phillips — sidelined by an ankle injury since February — and QPR collected the play-off trophy and stole all the glory.
Style points counted for nothing as financial power paid off when one of the many major purchases made by QPR, £5million striker Bobby Zamora, seized on a sickening mistake by County captain Richard Keogh in the final minute.
It was only a fifth goal in 20 months from Zamora, a man who admits he doesn’t care for watching football.
That admission two years ago led to an appalled Tony Cascarino calling for the former England international to hang up his boots.
How Derby wish he’d taken the advice. Rangers, who have 13 players out on loan set to return and are at the centre of a financial fair play probe, managed grimly to stay in the contest with 10 men after the dismissal of Gary O’Neil for a professional foul on Russell midway through the second half.
Now they are back in the Premier League at the first time of asking under Harry Redknapp and Joe Jordan, leaving Derby inconsolable.
And, on his return to Wembley seven years after England crashed out of Euro 2008 qualifying, Steve McClaren the ‘Wally with the Brolly’ failed to win the lolly. Even conservative
estimates pitched the value of victory in this game at £134m.
The irony was that an umbrella would have come in handy as torrential rain greeted the teams.
Qualifying for the final normally guarantees a day in the sun of sorts. Those pleasant conditions — and the best entertainment — had to wait until the second half for 87,348 fans.
Derby were the league’s top-scorers and had drawn by far the greater admirers. It didn’t take long to realise they were the team the neutral would rather see competing in the top flight.
County tried manfully to prove they weren’t playing the occasion. Confident and quick in possession, the Scots were at the heart of the best of it.
McClaren set the QPR defence troubling tasks by working Russell and Jamie Ward — split either side of Martin — on a flank rotation system.
Forsyth to the feet of striker Martin was a favoured route but the new Strachan call-up saw only one major chance to add to his 25 goals, and that was pushed onto the post by Robert Green in the second half.
All three starters were involved as Forsyth’s leap to meet a kick-out was screened then laid off by Martin to Russell, whose cross-cum-shot dipped too late to trouble Green.
That wasn’t the only example of the trio’s cohesive work as Russell went about asking why he was not picked by Strachan.
Stephen Pearson was the Derby hero in 2007 when scoring a Wembley winner against West Brom to take Billy Davies and Co into the top flight. And Forsyth had the best first-half chance to become the second Scot to secure the Premier League millions for the Midlands club.
Ward’s delivery found the full- back peeling clear at the back post but he couldn’t angle the header down and on target.
Forsyth was part of Watford’s Wembley build-up last May after being recalled from loan at Derby. He prepared with his team-mates, stayed in the hotel overnight and travelled with the squad yet played no part in a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
That was his last experience of spectator sport. The 25-year-old has played all 53 League, Cup and play-off matches for Derby this season. For all that, it ended once more in a near miss.
This was far worse for him as QPR were outplayed. And their unattractive approach became even uglier with a 60th-minute dismissal.
Nedum Onouha was slack with a pass bringing the ball out of defence and Will Hughes pounced. Russell was released and, after darting by Richard Dunne, was felled by a cynical clip of the heels from O’Neil. Last man, decreed the standside official in consultation with referee Lee Mason.
With Russell off free-kick duties, Derby failed to prosper and helping reduce the opposition in number was the ex-Dundee United man’s last act.
For Derby had moved a team lacking legs around the pitch for an hour and McClaren switched the threat to prey on the numerical disadvantage.
On came Bryson and Simon Dawkins for Russell and Hughes. The back injury that forced Bryson to miss the second leg against Brighton restricted him to a place on the bench but it had not diluted his energy. The explosive midfield form that has spawned 16 goals was quickly seen to effect as he forced Green into a save, then Martin smacked the woodwork.
Green saved from Dawkins and Martin got in the way as Ward hit the rebound goalwards as Derby went for the jugular. Bryson was superb in his cameo, constantly on the move trying to find pockets of space in a packed rearguard action by Rangers.
Then the sucker punch. Forsyth left Jake Buxton to tackle Junior Hoilett. He failed to do so with any conviction, allowing the QPR winger to whip a ball into the box.
Keogh fluffed his clearance and Zamora pounced to steer a left-foot strike beyond Lee Grant, which was QPR’s only effort on target.
DERBY COUNTY (4-3-3): Grant; Wisdom, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth; Hendrick, Thorne, Hughes (Bryson 68); Russell (Dawkins 67), Martin, Ward (Bamford 90).
Subs (not used): Legzdins, Eustace, Sammon, Whitbread. Booked: None.
QUEENS PARK RANGERS (4-4-2): Green; Simpson, Onuoha, Dunne, Hill (Henry 67); Kranjcar (Traore 33), Barton, O’Neil, Hoilett; Austin, Doyle (Zamora 57).
Subs (not used): Murphy, Morrison, Suk-young, Hughes. Booked: Zamora . Sent off: O’Neil. Referee: Lee Mason. Attendance: 87,348.