Malcolm Christie incurred the wrath of Hillsborough on his debut after playing
his part in the sending-off of Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pavel Srnicek.
The Czech international was shown the red card early in the second-half, just
three minutes after Spencer Prior had scored what proved to be the winner - his
first goal for almost three years.
The match seemed destined for a goalless draw, what would have been
Wednesday's fifth at home this season, until it was turned on its head in the
54th minute.
With the Rams short of firepower up front - Paulo Wanchope serving the last of
a three-match ban and Deon Burton out with a hamstring injury - it was left to
defender Prior to see Derby home.
Scotland Under-21 Kevin Harper managed to hook a hopeful ball into the box
from the bye-line, with Prior on hand to head home his first goal since scoring
in a 3-0 win at Reading in March, 1996, during his days with Norwich.
Harper had been joined up front by Christie at the break after Dean Sturridge
had been pulled off, and it was the young forward, signed from non-league two
months ago, who was then at the heart of the moment of controversy.
Chasing a through ball, Harper was caught just outside the area by the
flailing arm of Srnicek, although contact appeared minimal at best. But it was
the way he went down and the fact he stayed down which led to referee David
Elleray showing Srnicek the red card and leading to the introduction of Kevin
Pressman for the first time since November 8.
Kept out of the side by the form of Srnicek, the 31-year-old then had little
to do as Wednesday searched in vain for the equaliser throughout the remainder
of the second half.
The goal was the first they had conceded for 310 minutes, but it was one which
ensured Derby have now lost just one of their last 10 games. The excitement of
the second 45 minutes was in stark contrast to the opening half-an-hour which
was as bad it gets in the Premiership as both sides cancelled each other out, to
such an extent the Owls were caught offside six times in that period.
Both defences have to be given credit as they negated anything the opposition
forwards could muster, with Beni Carbone the main culprit of the linesman's
flag. Igor Stimac looked as he if had not been away, three months on the
sidelines with a troublesome ankle injury having done little to have diminished
the County skipper's awareness as he superbly marshalled the back-line.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it took a defensive error for the first chance to
arrive bang on 30 minutes as Tony Dorigo's wayward header fell straight into the
path of Wednesday dangerman Carbone. The impish Italian has been in sparkling
form of late, scoring six goals in his previous eight matches, and he looked
odds-on for a seventh as he was given a clear run at goal.
But his angled 12-yard drive, and with Prior nipping at his heels at the point
of shooting, was a yard over the bar. Derby's Horacio Carbonari was then at the
heart of everything in the next few minutes - preventing what looked a certain
goal at one end and missing what looked a certain goal at the other.
The Argentinian first deflected Wim Jonk's riveting 25-yarder inches over the
woodwork, with Andy Booth blowing an opportunity from a yard out after Andy
Hinchcliffe and Carbone had set him up from the resultant corner.
A stunning 30-yard free-kick curler from Carbonari moments later was met with
a save equal in quality from Srnicek. From Lars Bohinen's corner, Carbonari was
left all alone at the far post, but with an empty net to aim at he somehow
scooped his right-foot toe-poke over from inches.
After Srnicek's dismissal, the 10-men at least deserved to pull level,
although it was clearly not going to be their day, a fact underlined by Petter
Rudi's injury-time shot which trickled through a crowd of players and shaving
the left-hand post.
Teams:
Sheff Wed: Srnicek, Atherton, Thome, Walker, Stefanovic,
Hinchcliffe, Alexandersson (Pressman 58), Jonk (Newsome 86),
Rudi, Booth (Humphreys 55), Carbone.
Subs Not Used: Cobian, Briscoe.
Sent Off: Srnicek (57).
Derby: Hoult, Laursen, Prior, Stimac, Carbonari, Dorigo, Carsley,
Bohinen (Schnoor 85), Harper, Sturridge (Christie 46),
Baiano (Eranio 77).
Subs Not Used: Knight, Hunt.
Booked: Eranio.
Goals: Prior 54.
Att: 24,440
Ref: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).
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