Leeds manager David O'Leary's warning this week to his players to stay out of the headlines almost fell on deaf ears as the unexpected figure of Gary Kelly momentarily chose to court controversy.

Leeds have hit the back pages for all the wrong reasons this season, so Kelly's out-of-character 70th-minute confrontation with a ballboy could easily have exploded in the face of the Republic of Ireland international.

As Eirik Bakke was receiving treatment following a crude tackle by Ian Evatt, and as referee Graham Poll was dishing out a booking to the young midfielder, Kelly went to retrieve the ball which had gone out of play.

The ballboy in question hurled the ball back to the Republic of Ireland star who, in a fit of pique, threw it back to the youngster - fortunately for the full-back it missed the target.

Branko Strupar immediately remonstrated with Poll, who then consulted with one of his assistants, but no action was taken as the incident was missed by both officials.

A light-hearted moment followed six minutes later when Kelly went to take another throw, but this time the Irishman was handed the ball directly by Derby manager John Gregory, with a few words and smiles exchanged between the pair.

Thankfully Kelly, in his testimonial year, showed he does have a heart of gold for at the final whistle he apologised to the ballboy and handed him his Leeds shirt as a momento.

It was an incident which could have overshadowed a game which saw Robbie Fowler limp out of the fray, and given the rate at which England's World Cup hopefuls have been dropping like nine-pins in recent weeks, there was understandable concern.

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has watched David Beckham and Gary Neville place their chances of being on the plane bound for Japan in jeopardy, with each breaking a foot bone, and with the latter almost certainly ruled out.

Fowler, a possible strike partner to Michael Owen when England begin their Far East campaign against Sweden in Saitama on June 2, stumbled innocuously into the Rams' technical area.

Despite intensive treatment from physio Dave Hancock, it was clear Fowler could not continue, with the injury diagnosed as a jarred hip, and to what will be the undoubted relief of Eriksson, it was also described as not serious.

In the end, Lee Bowyer's second goal since the turn of the year handed doomed Derby their seventh successive defeat as they signed off from the Premiership at Pride Park on a miserable note.

Otherwise it was a match with a distinct, end-of-season, nothing-to-play for feel about it as the Leeds and Derby supporters spent the majority of the time taunting one another with regard to the other's misfortune this season.

At least the only highlight of the first-half was one to savour as Bowyer gave Eriksson the kind of reminder which is likely to ensure the Swede does not forget the midfielder during what will be a lively summer.

Eriksson has suggested Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate will be in his plans for the start of next season when England begin their assault on the European Championships.

For now, the duo will have to remain content with watching the World Cup on their televisions, although Bowyer appears to determined to give Eriksson a flavour of just what he is missing.

Alan Smith, another player who will be overlooked by Eriksson when the 23-man squad is announced on May 7, played his part to perfection with an initial chest trap and a flick over his head of Bowyer's through ball which he received on the halfway line.

With Bowyer in full flight as he had continued with his run, he was able to power his way into the area before lifting a deft lob over the advancing Mart Poom.

The Estonia international, back in the side after nearly three months outwith a finger injury, then produced two superb saves before the break to keep Derby in the game.

That was after Robbie Keane, a 21st-minute replacement for Fowler, had sidefooted wide a close-range sitter laid on a plate by Harry Kewell's incisive left-wing cross into the heart of the six-yard box.

Poom then excelled by turning aside a 20-yard drive from Kewell, back after his own four-week absence with a foot injury, which was the culmination of a mesmerising run from the halfway line.

The 30-year-old quickly followed by denying Bowyer his brace six minutes before the break after neat build-up play with Bakke had given the midfielder another sight of goal.

Derby looked like a relegated team, with Malcolm Christie's wayward volley from six yards on the hour mark their best chance they had of avoiding their latest defeat.

Smith hit the post with an acutely-angled shot shortly after Kelly's antics, a moment which came close to suggesting the silly season had started early.

Teams

Derby: Poom, Barton, Higginbotham, Riggott, Jackson, Kinkladze (Bolder 45), Lee, Boertien, Morris (Evatt 21), Strupar (Robinson 76), Christie.

Subs Not Used: Foletti, Murray.

Booked: Boertien, Evatt.

Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Ferdinand, Matteo, Harte, Bakke, Bowyer, Johnson, Kewell (Batty 87), Fowler (Keane 21), Smith.

Subs Not Used: Robinson, Wilcox, Richardson.

Goals: Bowyer 16.

Att: 30,705

Ref: G Poll (Tring).