Derby kept their Coca-Cola Championship play-off push firmly on track as they
came from behind to record a comfortable victory at home to Stoke.
Gerry Taggart had headed the visitors into a seventh-minute lead, only for
Rams striker Grzegorz Rasiak to equalise with his 17th goal of the season 60
seconds later.
Morten Bisgaard scooped home his second of the campaign in first-half injury
time to put his side in control, and Inigo Idiakez made the game safe with a
goal direct from a corner 11 minutes from time.
Mo Konjic returned to the Derby defence following a stomach strain, while
Stoke made three changes from the side beaten 3-1 at home by Cardiff in midweek.
Carl Asaba, Clive Clarke and Chris Greenacre came in for the Potters.
Rasiak almost broke the deadlock in the fifth minute when he connected well
with a Jeff Kenna cross, but his header flew inches wide of the left-hand
upright.
It was Stoke who took the lead from their first noteworthy attack of the
game.
Kenna brought down Asaba on the left, and Dave Brammer's inswinging free-kick
was headed home powerfully by defender Taggart.
Their joy was short-lived, however, as Derby levelled almost straight from the
kick-off.
Poland international Rasiak made the goal himself, getting to the byline and
drawing Steve Simonsen before slotting the ball underneath the goalkeeper.
Marcus Tudgay should have done better with a close-range volley from an
Idiakez corner after 26 minutes, while at the other end Greenacre volleyed over
the crossbar when well placed.
Idiakez had seen two goal-bound efforts blocked by the City defence before
Bisgaard did find a way through.
An Idiakez corner found the midfielder in the area, and he neatly lifted the
ball past Simonsen to complete the turn around.
George Burley's side came agonisingly close to making the points safe at the
start of the second half, but Tommy Smith's superb curling effort came back off
the woodwork.
A stunning save from Lee Camp to deny Lewis Neal kept the Rams in front on the
hour, and their afternoon took a turn for the worse shortly afterwards when
Rasiak limped out of the action.
Darel Russell tried his luck from distance twice in quick succession as Stoke
went in search of an equaliser, but it was Derby who scored the fourth goal of
the game to kill off their opponents.
Idiakez sent in a corner from the right which Simonsen looked to have
gathered.
However, he could only push the ball into the back of the net to gift the
Spaniard his 10th goal of the season - his eighth from a dead-ball situation.
Teams:
Derby Camp, Kenna, Konjic, Johnson, Makin, Bisgaard,
Huddlestone (Bolder 83), Idiakez, Smith,
Rasiak (Peschisolido 65), Tudgay.
Subs Not Used: Miller, Mills, Junior.
Goals: Rasiak 8, Bisgaard 45, Idiakez 79.
Stoke Simonsen, Buxton, Taggart, Thomas (Neal 45), Hill,
Asaba, Russell, Brammer, Clarke, Noel-Williams (Ricketts 82),
Greenacre (Clark 89).
Subs Not Used: de Goey, Gudjonsson.
Booked: Taggart, Hill.
Goals: Taggart 7.
Att: 27,640
Ref: M Halsey (Lancashire).
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