SUPER sub Danny Graham handed Rovers their second win of the season when he stroked home an assured finish in a classic comeback triumph at the iPro Stadium.
Owen Coyle’s side had already missed a first-half penalty through Ben Marshall when Matej Vydra put the Rams in front on 69 minutes.
But Marvin Emnes’ deflected shot made it 1-1 a minute later before the on-loan striker played in Graham to earn a terrific win that lifts Rovers up to 20th place in the table and outside the relegation zone.
Boss Coyle reverted to the team that collected Rovers’ first three points of the season against Rotherham last Saturday, meaning nine changes from the midweek EFL Cup team.
But there were two switches on the bench, with fit-again striker Graham and defender Wes Brown, who signed for the rest of the season earlier in the week, taking their places on the bench.
Derby had the first half chance as early as the second minute when a cross from the right found Darren Bent, but he failed to connect with his volley.
Sam Gallagher then put pressure on Cyrus Christie at the other end and nudged the ball past Rams keeper Scott Carson. There looked to be contact as the Rovers man went to ground, but referee Andrew Madley waved play on.
Emnes was looking for his third Rovers goal and saw defenders backing away from him on 12 minutes as he moved towards the Derby box, but Richard Keogh put in a good block as the striker let fly.
Then Ikechi Anya sprang to life down Derby’s left. First he nodded a cross-field ball back to Vydra whose shot was blocked by Tommie Hoban, then he found acres of space but his cross was too strong for Bent.
His third act, a minute later, was to roll the ball under the advancing Jason Steel after a superb through-ball from Vydra, but the flag was up for offside.
The Rams were starting to boss the game and Steele had to be at his best to get a left hand to Jacob Butterfield’s stinging 20-yard drive and push it away for a corner.
Anya had clearly spooked Jason Lowe and the Rovers skipper hauled down the winger on the edge of his own box, seeing a yellow card waved his way and then Butterfield test Steele with the set-piece.
Corry Evans followed him into the book on 37 minutes, felling Craig Bryson with a sliding tackle. But the Derby man should also have seen yellow moments earlier when he was late on Gallagher, Marshall instead playing on and shooting over the bar.
The Rovers winger then had the chance to give his side the lead before half-time when Emnes was fouled by Keogh, but his spot-kick came back off the post and, because Carson had not got a touch on the ball, the fact he put the rebound wide mattered not a jot.
Rovers did fashion a further chance before the break when Gallagher came alive in the box and rolled a cross across the six yard box, but Christie whacked it clear
Derby came out charging for the second half and Will Hughes let fly with a shot from distance that was always rising over the bar.
Christie sent over a cross for Vydra to head straight at Steele, and the goalkeeper came out well to catch another centre from Anya.
Rovers came back though, and Gallagher was almost in on goal when Emnes found him with a neat pass, but he couldn’t sort his feet out at the opportunity was lost.
The loan man was replaced by Graham soon after, before four crazy minutes lit up the grey afternoon in the East Midlands.
Derby went in front when Anya put a ball through to Vydra and the striker slid a shot under Steele and into the far corner.
But within a minute Rovers were level when Emnes strode forward into space and his shot was deflected past Carson by Keogh.
With barely time to draw breath, the men in red were celebrating again when Emnes played a lovely ball around the corner to Graham and the striker stroked his finish past the Rams stopper.
Both the Rovers bench and Steele went barmy when it hit the back of the net.
Steele made a terrific save when Vydra’s downward header bounced up off the turf, and then kept out a shot from substitute Tom Ince.
Derby looked to have played themselves into trouble when a throw-in back to Carson saw the keeper upend Marshall, with Emnes protesting to the assistant that a spot-kick should have been awarded.
Ince shot wide in the final minutes, but that was as close as they got and Rovers comfortably hung on for a fantastic win that made it two on the bounce in the league.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel