3/1 To Win
Tom Ince’s late penalty saw Derby County fight back from a goal down to earn a share of the spoils with Rotherham United in the final game of the season.
Lee Frecklington opened the scoring on 66 minutes in a far more entertaining second half in South Yorkshire, converting a left-wing cross from the Millers, who came into the game already relegated.
Gary Rowett’s men turned the screw the later the game went on and eventually got their rewards six minutes from time as Ince dusted himself down to score his 15th goal of the campaign from 12-yards.
Looking back at the fixture, Rowett, the Derby manager, named an unchanged side from the team that delivered a stylish performance in the 3-1 home victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers a week ago.
A sold-out away backing were in full voice from the beginning of this final 2016/17 Sky Bet Championship contest and this seemed to spur on the Rams in the game’s early stages.Within the first four minutes of the game, Derby had already won three corners and looked, by far, the better team.
Despite their early dominance, though, Rotherham were the first to register the match’s first half chance as Richard Smallwood blasted a half volley against the leg of Bradley Johnson
After that, there was little action in-front of goal for a considerable amount of time during the first-half. Both sides proved they were more than capable of playing good possession-football. Now the contest just needed an injection of killer instinct.
Jonson Clarke-Harris should have done better after capitalising on a defensive error to run through on goal, whilst Ince was thwarted by O’Donnell five minutes before the break after chancing his arm with an effort from the edge of the box.
After the interval, the story of the start of the second-half was pretty much the same as the first, with neither side able to create anything of real purpose in the final third.
This was until 52 minutes when Rotherham looked to break the mould. Clarke-Harris broke away from the Rams defence at pace for a second time, but his final shot was lacking and Carson mopped up his 20-yard shot with ease.
Bradley Johnson had arguably the best chance of the game 13 minutes later after Darren Bent, on as a substitute, rolled a ball into his path from inside the area, but, off balance, he sent his attempt wide.
But, once again, after such dominance with possession, Rotherham hit back against the run of play and the Millers’ captain,
Frecklington, put his side ahead, converting from Joe Mattock’s left-sided cross from an acute angle.
And things could have gone from bad to worse for the visitors after a short back-pass to Carson was intercepted by Tom Adeyemi on 73 minutes, but luckily the Derby ‘keeper was quickest to react and he swept the ball from the midfielder’s feet.
After conceding, Derby picked up where they left off and continued to flirt with an opportunity in front of goal, the final ball was lacking, though, and Rotherham were desperate to hold on and end their own season on a high.
However, in the final 10 minutes, that all changed after a sharp exchange of play between Jacob Butterfield and Ince saw the latter player brought down inside the Millers’ area and the referee pointed straight to the spot.
With Ince winning the penalty, he assumed control of the ball and sent O’Donnell the wrong way with an assured finish to the ‘keeper’s right side saw the Rams claim a deserved equaliser.
It was a goal the tipped the game’s balance in Derby’s favour and just three minutes after taking the lead, Rowett’s side were presented a chance to win the game after substitute Nick Blackman found space to shoot inside the Millers’ area.
Unfortunately, the power behind Blackman’s shot was not enough and O’Donnell palmed the ball safely out of the way and out of danger.
With little time remaining, Derby continued to search for a late winner. In added time, they nearly did.
From 25-yards out, Johnson laid a free-kick into the path of Ince, who struck, first time, at goal, but O’Donnell did enough – throwing his body behind the effort and claiming at the second attempt as the Rams were forced to settle for a point in their final match of the 2016/17 season.
Rotherham United: O’Donnell, Mattock, Vaulks, Wood, Frecklington (C), Taylor (Purrington, 14; Bailey-King, 75), Ajayi, Fisher, Clarke-Harris, Adeyemi, Smallwood
Substitutes not used: Bilboe, Morris, Belaid, Bray, Yates
Derby County: Carson, Baird, Keogh, Pearce, Olsson, Butterfield, Bryson (Hughes, 46), Johnson, Ince, Nugent (Blackman, 79), Russell (Bent, 57)
Substitutes not used: Mitchell, Christie, Anya, Vydra
Attendance: 10,763 (2,595 Away Supporters)
