Goals from Gareth McAuley, Carlos Edwards and Connor Wickham took the Blues to a 3-1 win at Derby and up to 13th in the Championship. McAuley slammed in his second goal in two games in the third minute, Edwards adding the second on 80, two minutes before Rob Hulse pulled one back. Rams midfielder Stephen Pearson was shown a straight red card for foul and abusive language before Wickham sealed the result in injury time.

Boss Roy Keane made two changes to the side which beat Reading 2-1 at the weekend, Shane O’Connor and Connor Wickham coming into the side for David Wright and David Healy. O’Connor was at left-back with Jaime Peters moving to the right. Academy central defender Tom Eastman was on the first team bench for the first time.

Wickham, who signed his first professional deal at the weekend, came close to his second league goal in the second minute, holding off former Town loanee Jay McEveley before hitting a shot which another ex-Blues loan player Stephen Bywater blocked, the loose ball just avoiding the on-rushing Jack Colback.

A minute later, the Blues were in front. Bywater and his defenders impeded one another as Grant Leadbitter’s corner from the left came in and McAuley slammed the loose ball into the roof of the net from six yards.

Derby’s first strike of the game came in the 12th minute but Steve Davies’s shot failed to trouble Brian Murphy. At the other end, Shane O’Connor sent in a cross from the left but Jon Walters’s header was too weak to trouble Bywater.

Town were having the better of the game and in the 25th minute Wickham hit an effort straight at Bywater.

The Blues should have added to their lead in the 31st minute when McAuley flicked on Wickham’s long throw to Walters six yards out. The Town skipper’s effort was blocked, then Daryl Murphy’s rebound was similarly stopped at point blank range by Bywater.

Town had another golden opportunity to go two in front soon after, again from a Wickham long throw. This time Colback crossed back in from the left, McAuley knocked the ball down to Wickham coming in from the right and the 17-year-old’s strike flew across the face of goal just beyond Daryl Murphy’s toe at the far post.

Grant Leadbitter came even closer to adding the second goal in the 39th minute when space opened up in front of him and he unleashed a 25-yard shot which beat Bywater but slammed off the outside of the post and to safety.

Derby came as near as they would get to a first half equaliser in the 41st minute when Robbie Savage returned a McAuley headed clearance, Shaun Barker flicked on but Brian Murphy did superbly to athletically tip over the bar.

From the subsequent corner, Town were unable to clear and a bout of head tennis ensued before the ball eventually ended up in Murphy’s hands.

Just before the break, Nicky Hunt was shown the game’s first yellow card by referee Jonathan Moss for a late tackle on Shane O’Connor. There was just time for Stephen Pearson to head over at the far post before Mr Moss’s whistle went.

Town could and probably should have been two or three goals up at the break. After McAuley’s opener, Murphy might have got a touch on Wickham’s shot across the face, while the Irishman and Walters might well have netted from the youngster’s long throw and Leadbitter was unlucky to see his shot strike the upright.

The Blues made two changes at the break, David Wright replacing Jaime Peters, who received a nasty blow to the head a couple of minutes before half-time, and Carlos Edwards coming on for the unusually quiet Daryl Murphy, the Trinidadian going to his usual right midfield role with Walters moving up front.

The Wickham-Walters partnership created an opening within a minute of the restart, the youngster laying the ball back for his skipper, who forced Bywater into a save, the ex-West Ham man failing to hold on. Carlos Edwards subsequently shot over.

Davies hit a freekick into the Town wall, but after the Blues had half-cleared, the ball was sent back into the penalty area towards Barker, who headed wide with Brian Murphy having come needlessly off his line and beaten if the Derby defender had hit the target.

The home side had started the second half much the stronger of the two teams and on 52 Paul Green struck a 25-yard shot straight at Murphy.

Pearson should have put his side back on terms on 56 when Green crossed from the left but headed straight at Brian Murphy at the far post when he could have picked his spot either side of the Town keeper.

Chris Porter shot weakly to Murphy, then Colback got his name in the referee’s book for standing in front of the ball at a freekick and allowing Robbie Savage to kick it straight at him.

Bywater again failed to hold on to a shot after Colback hit a powerful 25-yard strike, but in the main Derby were putting the Blues under pressure and in the 69th minute Gareth McAuley was cautioned for a foul as the Rams broke, although with more than a hint of handball earlier in the move. Michael Tonge hit yet another freekick on the edge of the box straight into the Town wall.

Walters looped a shot from the edge of the area to Bywater before Shane O’Connor was replaced with Tommy Smith as Roy Keane looked to tighten up at the back. O’Connor had again done well, putting in a couple of decent crosses and making some good runs down the left flank.

Derby sub Rob Hulse missed another chance the get the Rams level in the 76th minute when he got away from McAuley and was in space as the ball came in from the left but nodded the ball a long way over.

With 11 minutes remaining, McAuley made an important challenge on Porter after a cleared freekick was played back into the area with the Derby attacker looking well offside but with no flag appearing.

Town went two in front in the 80th minute when Colback fought off Savage in the middle of the Derby half and fed Leadbitter. The former Sunderland man brought the ball forward and played it wide to Wickham, who sent in a low ball which Edwards smashed into the net from close range,

The game looked to be settled but Derby kept going and three minutes later, Savage sent in a cross from deep on the left which Town failed to deal with and the ball scuffed off Hulse’s head, past Murphy and into the corner of the net.

The home crowd, generally quiet throughout, were by now starting to get behind their side and the atmosphere was raised a notch in the 84th minute when Rams boss Nigel Clough was sent to the stands for complaining to the referee that Town were taking too long to take the centre, although this largely appeared to be because Savage was encroaching into the centre circle.

Clough initially failed to retreat to an area which was acceptable to Mr Moss but eventually the game continued only for the referee to irk the home fans further. After a freekick had been awarded to the Rams, Stephen Pearson appeared to launch into a tirade at the official, who showed him a straight red card. The midfielder might find himself in further trouble for continuing to make his thoughts known to the referee and then kicking several water bottles as he left the field.

As the match entered its final minute, referee Moss very generously gave the home side another freekick on the edge of the area but once again the Town wall did its job, Gilles Sunu this time the man lashing the ball against the line of Blues defenders.

Moments later, McEveley hit another freekick from a similar area off the end of the wall and wide. Brian Murphy was booked for timewasting prior to taking his goalkick.

The game was finally settled in injury time when, with Derby pushing men forward, Leadbitter played the ball forward to Wickham on halfway, the youngster rolled McEveley, then ran on into the area before slipping it past Bywater and into the net for his second league goal.

There was no time for any further incident in what had already been a more than eventful second half.

Town deserved their win having had much the better of the first half. The home side came back into it after the break and ought to have equalised before Edwards added the Blues’ second, Town catching the Rams with a classic counter-attack.

The game should have been settled at that stage but the Blues gave away a poor goal before Wickham’s third finally sealed Town’s second win of what has been a very successful Easter period.

Town: B Murphy, Peters (D Wright 46), O’Connor (Smith 74), Delaney, McAuley, Leadbitter, Norris, Colback, Walters, B Murphy (Edwards 46), Wickham. Unused: Lee-Barrett, Eastman, Healy, Martin. Att: 28,137.

Photo: Action Images

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