Lee's winner brings Derby down to earth
Rotherham United 2 Derby County 1
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Your support makes all the difference.The last time these sides met at Millmoor, it was almost 17 years ago in the old Third Division. Derby County may hope it is a similar length of time before their next visit, after they were deservedly beaten by a Rotherham United side displaying no little quality, as well as their customary industry.
It was perhaps just as well that the Italian Fabrizio Ravanelli had failed to recover from his Achilles injury in time for the game. In aesthetic terms, Millmoor has little in common with the San Siro and the home faithful might not have been sympathetic to the White Feather's best efforts.
Rotherham's answer to Ravanelli, Alan Lee, eventually proved the match winner, but only after a half-time rollicking from his manager, Ronnie Moore, who diplomatically refused to reveal whether Lee was one of two players about to be withdrawn immediately before his side equalised.
"Alan's about six feet four inches tall but he's on the ground more than Joe Bugner," Moore said. "I told him so at half-time and he gave me just the response I wanted."
Derby looked ill at ease from the start but created the game's first chance when Malcolm Christie screwed his shot over the bar after good work from the Belgian international, Branko Strupar. Rotherham's own front two of Darren Byfield and Lee, the archetypal combination of mobility and physical presence, soon discomforted the Derby defence and Byfield broke through, only for the goalkeeper Andy Oakes to leave his area to intervene.
It was left to the veterans Rob Lee and Warren Barton, in acts of increasing desperation, to keep Rotherham at bay, not least when Barton hacked off the line after a goalmouth scramble.
But, suitably admonished at half-time by their manager, John Gregory, Derby were ahead within two minutes of the restart when the unmarked Strupar deflected Lee's free-kick past Mike Pollitt.
Rotherham equalised midway through the second half when Oakes failed to hold John Mullin's shot and Lee scooped the rebound into the net. With just five minutes remaining, the rejuvenated forward struck again, taking the ball on his chest inside the penalty area, turning adroitly and then hooking his shot into the top corner.
"We're full of character and just don't know when to give up," Moore said afterwards. "The difference this season is the players believe they belong in this division."
Rotherham United (4-4-2): Pollitt; Scott, Swailes, McIntosh, Hurst; Sedgwick, Garner, Mullin, Warne; Lee, Byfield (Barker, 81). Substitutes not used: Gray (gk), Daws, Beech, Monkhouse
Derby County (4-4-2): Oakes; Barton Higginbotham, Evatt, Grenet (Twigg, 89); Boertien, Bolder, Lee (Murray, 82), Morris; Christie, Strupar. Substitutes not used: Grant (gk), Jackson, Tudgay.
Referee: G Cain (Merseyside).
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