Jim Smith could breathe a sigh of relief as Derby edged closer to
Premiership safety.
Goals from skipper Darryl Powell and talented striker Malcolm Christie secured
the victory against Southampton.
Now Derby are nine points clear of Sheffield Wednesday, who are not back in
action until Sunday when they face Leeds.
Derby went about their job efficiently despite the lingering
fear of relegation.
And veteran manager Smith would have been delighted to have kept a clean sheet
following the extraordinary 4-4 draw against Bradford on Good Friday.
Southampton are already in the comfort zone and it showed with their play
lacking any real conviction.
Derby almost got off to a sensational start when after just 12 seconds Rory
Delap launched the ball forward and keeper Neil Moss and Tahar El Khalej didn't
seem to appreciate the danger.
Christie found himself in space inside the area, only to send his shot onto
the roof of the net.
Derby didn't have long to wait, however, before making the breakthrough.
Craig Burley got away down the left in the fifth minute and delivered a low
cross into the area.
Southampton were caught napping and Powell slid the ball in with his left foot
for his second goal of the season.
The visitors retaliatated and Trond Soltvedt tested Mart Poom with a fierce
shot and minutes later the keeper did well to turn away James Beattie's effort.
Derby were knocking the ball about with a degree of confidence and Delap tried
his luck from the edge of the area but didn't trouble keeper Moss.
Wayne Bridge was furious with Hassan Kachloul for not picking Delap up and
pushed him on the shoulder.
Derby extended their lead three minutes before half time after a wonderful
break by Giorgi Kinkladze.
He carved his way through the Southampton defence before laying the ball into
the path of Christie.
The talented striker scored his sixth goal in seven starts, knocking the ball
under keeper Moss's body.
Derby almost added a third in the 53rd minute when Burley was inches wide of
the target after latching onto a short free-kick from Branko Strupar.
Southampton, with their Premiership safety assured, were finding it difficult
to string any passes together.
The visiting supporters were becoming increasingly irritated at their team's
apparent reluctance to go forward.
However they were heartened on the hour when James Beattie skipped away from
Stefan Schnoor, only to drag his shot wide of the target.
Kachloul then flicked a header wide of the post and a minute later Matthew Le
Tissier came on for Beattie.
Derby were looking threatening every time they broke forward and Kinkladze
weaved a little bit of magic in the 79th minute.
He cleverly picked out Delap but the Republic of Ireland international lofted
his shot high into the crowd.
Then five minutes from the end Seth Johnson rattled the bar for Derby with a
stunning shot from fully 35 yards.
Derby wind up their fixtures against Tottenham, Newcastle and Chelsea and now
look home and dry.
Teams:
Derby: Poom, Delap, Laursen, Schnoor, Dorigo (Boertien 46), Burley, Johnson, Powell, Kinkladze (Murray 90), Strupar, Christie.
Subs Not Used: Oakes, Jackson, Elliott.
Booked: Burley.
Goals: Powell 5, Christie 42.
Southampton: Moss, Dodd, Richards, Tahar, Ripley, Marsden (Davies 46), Oakley, Soltvedt, Kachloul (Tessem 82), Beattie (Le Tissier 70), Bridge.
Subs Not Used: Bevan, Lundekvam.
Booked: Marsden, Kachloul.
Att: 29,403
Ref: P Jones (Loughborough).
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