Aristocratic Derby open class divide

Derby County 3 Reading

All ultimately predictable enough, but it took Derby County a while to adjust to life below stairs. Having spent a half giving the impression that they should still be hobnobbing with the toffs, John Gregory's men donned their aprons, dirtied their hands and got down to the serious business of embarking on a successful promotion campaign.

Having established a lead on the hour, by dint of a raking drive from Rob Lee, who earned his manager's plaudit of man of the match, County could afford to put on something of an exhibition. And it did not take any invitation for that entertainer par excellence, Fabrizio Ravanelli, to take us through his full repertoire of delicate footwork, intuitive passing and, of course, over-exaggerated anguish at every decision against him. And the White Feather scored the second goal, too.

Significantly, the Italian's strike partner Malcolm Christie netted the third which, ironically, will only increase the likelihood of the England Under-21 man's departure from a club who are under pressure to satisfy their bank's demands.

The relegated club exemplify the impoverished state of the Nationwide at the start of the new season. The club, twice champions of the old First Division in the Seventies, have neither bought nor sold. They have no money to buy and no one will pay the wages of the eight players they want to discard. Bryan Richardson, ousted as Coventry's chairman last season, has joined the Derby board and declared before the game that his prime concern will be "re-financing" the club. With debts of a reported £27million he will clearly be a busy man. "Four or five players were earning a total of £7m a year," he said. "And only one will be playing today."

That man was presumably Ravanelli, who struck a post in the first half but otherwise, like his team-mates, failed to make too many early incursions into the First Division new boy's rearguard. Having been visited by the Queen recently as part of her Jubilee celebrations, Pride Park was not quite so receptive to the arrival of the Royals, whose travelling faithful congregated in fervent expectation that their team could ride into the division on the momentum they created from last season's promotion campaign.

Strangely, Reading began their new life without Jamie Cureton in their starting line-up, despite the fact that he secured promotion for them last term with a 74th-minute equaliser at Brentford in the final game from which the Royals needed a point. He also scored a hat-trick in a recent friendly against West Ham. The striker eventually came on, but only just in time to witness Derby's first goal.

In the opening minutes, Derby appeared distinctly nervous as they came to terms with their new environment. Reading, deploying Martin Butler as a lone striker, attacked purposefully on the break, but too frequently they were wasteful with their final ball. Butler and Warren Barton were cautioned after a clash on the touchline. Ravanelli also went into the notebook for venting his feelings on the incident. Reading's captain, John Mackie, soon joined them with a challenge from behind on the Italian striker and he was followed by Paul Boertien.

Ravanelli, who gave Reading's defence no respite, came close with a splendid turn and shot which goalkeeper Phil Whitehead did well to divert past a post. But it was the left winger Lee Morris, introduced to the side only when Gregory arrived last season, who was the principal threat in the first half. The former Sheffield United man had one penalty appeal turned down and continued to unsettle the visitors with his assertive play. One cross by Morris culminated in Adam Murray side-footing against Nick Shorey with an open goal beckoning.

The visitors' best opening before half-time was provided by John Salako, whose centre was met with a header by Andy Hughes which just cleared the bar. It had the effect of provoking the Rams. Eight minutes from the break, a Ravanelli free-kick struck the outside of post as his team enjoyed their best period.

Derby emerged for the second half with far more conviction as the contrast in class finally began to manifest itself. Ravanelli was winning ball after ball in the air and, from successive corners, he had headers saved by the fist of Whitehead and the midfielder Kevin Watson on the line. Adam Bolder and Christie both wasted inviting chances.

Still the punishments were meted out in an ill-tempered contest. Ravanelli, already on a booking, received a lengthy rebuke from the referee, Graham Law, after an apparent deliberate handball while Reading's Hughes was cautioned after barging into Mart Poom.

Finally, just after the hour, it was Lee who allowed Derby to relax with a 25-yard drive. Two minutes later, some incisive approach work by Christie set up Ravanelli to net a second with aplomb. Even with the presence of the substitute Cureton, Reading looked unlikely to threaten Poom and the closest they came was when Salako brought a flying save from the Estonian goalkeeper.

By now, County were awash with confidence, and Morris and Ravanelli, with an audacious back-heel, combined to provide another opening for Christie to score with a deflected effort.

The game ended with the unsavoury spectacle of a number of visiting supporters being hauled out of the crowd by police. Their frustrations, if not their actions, was understandable as they witnessed their team being outclassed. Still, they won't face too many teams with the talent of County's players. The question is for the Derby faithful: will they all still be here at the end of the season?

Derby County 3 Reading 0
Lee 61, Ravanelli 63, Christie 72

Half-time: 0-0 Attendance: 33,016