Town fell to another defeat as Horatio Carbonari returned to action after a seven month absence with the crucial goal just before half-time. Controversial referee Keith Hill, keeper Andy Marshall and Hermann Hreidarsson all had fingers pointed at them as the unmarked Argentinian tapped home from a yard or so out from a freekick which the keeper had failed to claim.

Matt Holland and Darren Ambrose overcame their morning fitness tests and lined-up in the Blues' midfield. Mark Venus was not so lucky and Wayne Brown came into the defence. Otherwise it was the team which beat Brighton on Tuesday.

Town started the brighter side, but as so often Derby had the first effort, Marshall pushing a Bolder shot round the post when he may have been able to claim it.

The Blues' best early opportunity came when Ambrose ran onto a ball in the area but Poom was out quickly to claim. Referee Hill was already showing he was a man unafraid to use his whistle and in the tenth minute Adam Murray was booked for a foul on Couñago.

The Spaniard was looking impressive and on 13 a long Marshall throw forward found him well in the Derby half to the left. He stepped inside a defender and played a ball across to Holland which was just cut out.

As so often Town were having a lot of the ball but few clear cut chances, although Magilton brought a fine save from Poom with a 25-yarder which was definitely goal-bound in the 14th minute.

On 20 Fabian Wilnis limped off with a hamstring injury, Jermaine Wright replacing him. While Wright was still getting himself into position both the impressive Malcolm Christie and Izale McLeod had shots charged down, the first by McGreal, the second by Brown.

On 24 Pablo Couñago became the second player to go into the book for an innocuous foul on Murray just outside the Derby area. By now Town fans were becoming frustrated at the stop-start nature of the game, largely the fault of the over-fussy official.

Jim Magilton decided it was his turn at a set piece on 27, but he curled his edge of the area effort just over the bar.

Two minutes later John McGreal ended up in the book for a foul inside the centre circle, which did little to placate the crowd.

McGreal was under treatment in the 35th minute when debutant McLeod flew into him and caught him in the face with his studs, an incident that inexplicably ended in a freekick to Derby. McGreal had to spend time off the pitch having stitches put in and only returned three minutes before the break.

Town's drop to ten men seemed to spur Derby on, although in truth they were increasingly getting themselves more and more into the game as the half wore on.

With three minutes of the half left Robert Lee became the latest player to enter the book when he tripped Jim Magilton as the Northern Irishman was making a break out after a spell of Derby pressure.

The match moved into injury time with Town fans hoping the break might see a bit of difference made to their side. Unfortunately the break wouldn't come soon enough.

Derby were given a freekick down the Town right for an offence it was difficult to discern. The ball was swung across the Town box and ought to have been claimed by Andy Marshall. The keeper, though, stayed on his line, perhaps all too aware of his error on Tuesday, and Carbonari tapped in unmarked at the far post. In addition to Marshall fingers were pointed at Hreidarsson for letting his man go and the referee for the dubious freekick.

The whistle went to choruses of boos, aimed at the referee who was surrounded by Magilton, Wright and Marshall, the goalkeeper clearly saying something out of turn and receiving a yellow card.

Town had come from a goal behind on Tuesday and needed to do so again, however, to do so they would have to play a lot better than they had in the latter stages of the first half.

However, there was little in the second half to give fans any hope that an equaliser, let alone a victory, might be close.

In fact, there was what appeared to be a lucky escape in the 51st minute when McLeod put the ball in the net from a Christie break down the right. The 17-year-old had strayed offside and goal failed to count. Staying onside proved a problem for the youngster throughout the afternoon.

George Burley made a desperately needed change a minute later, Finidi George coming on for Hermann Hreidarsson who was suffering with a back injury. The Nigerian took up a right midfield role, Darren Ambrose going to the left.

On 59 the Blues came as near to a goal as they were gong to get. Pablo Couñago took the ball across the field and played it to Finidi George on the right. He played in Jermaine Wright who played the ball low across the box to the far post where Darren Bent sent it over the bar from close range. It was a poor miss from the youngster, but not something he appeared to let get to him during the rest of the game.

Town had another good opportunity on 66 as Wayne Brown found himself one-on-one with the keeper after Jamie Clapham had sent a cleared corner back into the box. The central defender had beaten the offside trap, but was too ponderous as he attempted to beat Poom, a defender sliding in and dispossessing him.

In the 72nd minute Finidi George, who as usual showed some nice touches without taking the game by the scruff of the neck, hit a shot from the edge of the area which was too easy for the excellent Poom.

At the other end Christie had a shot blocked in the area as Derby broke quickly, as they did on a number of occasions.

Town were looking very jaded and bereft of ideas. Too many balls were looped forwards towards the heads of strikers and merely returned into midfield by the Derby defence. Invariably it was Derby midfielders who were first to the ball as frustrations grew in the crowd. George Burley was told to sort it out and shouts of ‘what a load of rubbish' increased in volume as the game continued.

With 16 minutes left Alun Armstrong replaced Couñago who had drifted out of the game the more the match had gone on. Two minutes later Magilton hit a shot just by the post after being played in on the right by Finidi.

Town had few chances in the late stages, Bent heading a Holland ball well high and wide when he might have done better. McLeod and Higginbotham both spent time on the ground with what appeared to be time-related injuries which referee Hill didn't seem too concerned about having treated off the pitch.

In the closing minutes of injury time McLeod picked-up a yellow card for a foul on McGreal and soon afterwards the whistle went.

A thoroughly poor display from Town, particularly in the second half when they appeared not to have a clue what they were doing. Derby were happy to head away all the high balls while Town couldn't pass their way through the deep Derby midfield on the ground.

The referee may have been awful, however, that is little excuse for a performance so lacking, certainly Town's worst of the season.

The loss at Stoke last week prompted a clear the air meeting at Portman Road, a post-mortem looks highly likely to be a feature of this week.

The win against Brighton looked like the start of an improvement from Town, however, on this evidence the Blues are a long way from their best and a long way from competing at the top of this division.

Photo: Action Images

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