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  • Kick-off: 15:00
  • Venue: Ewood Park
  • Attendance: 26110
  • Referee: Rennie, U

Live Commentary

90 mins

All over here. Blackburn well worth the win and Derby condemed as the worst side ever in Premier League history.

89 mins

Roque Santa Cruz given man of the match, could have been Jason Roberts but he's wasted to many chances.

88 mins

Its all petered out a bit here now, Blackburn comfortably two up and Derby seem resigned to looseing. Theres been a bit of inginuity from Villa for Derby but he just hasn't got the support.

85 mins

Villa heads on towards Earnshaw for Derby but Warnock clears easily for Rovers.

83 mins

Nice build up play for Derby but Kenny Millers final ball is poor and Samba clears for Rovers.

80 mins

Free kick for Derby just outside the Blackburn area. Robbie Savage hits a right foot curler but its about 3 yards wide and Friedel doesn't even move for it.

78 mins

Martin Olssom replaces Morten Gamst Pedersen for Rovers.

77 mins

Roque Santa Cruz heads into the Derby goal unmarked from Bentleys cross. Surely now Derby will have that unwanted title as the worst ever Premier League side.

75 mins

Derby are going to be the worst side in Premier League history if they don't get anything here.

73 mins

We have a Derby County conga line as the fans seem to have given up on this game. Fair enough, I suppose after a season like they've had you've got to make your own entertainment.

72 mins

Savage with a great tackle on Santa Cruz (Rovers) to deny the paraguayan the chance to shoot.

71 mins

Eddie Lewis replaced by Emanuel Villa for Derby

69 mins

Really is end to end stuff as Pedersen takes a shot for Rovers. There are more goals in this game and my moneys on Rovers extending their lead.

67 mins

Right back down the other end as Jason Roberts goes one on one with Roy Carroll, the Irishman makes a great save to deny the Rovers forward.

67 mins

Kenny Miller clean through for Derby but somehow Stephen Warnock gets back to put in a wonder tackle.

66 mins

Hossam Ghaly replaced by Mile Sterjovski for Derby

66 mins

Blackburn Corner comes in, it falls to Ryan Nelson who takes a shot. It bobbles just wide as Roy Carroll knew he couldn't get there and was just hoping the net didn't bulge.

66 mins

Moore and Addison mix up allows Roberts to go through one on one with Roy Carroll who makes an excellent save for Derby.

65 mins

The Derby fans muted now, definately not as loud as their Hawaiian shirts anyway.

63 mins

Bentley breaks down the wing following an excellent pass from Tugay, Bentley tries to play in Pedersen but the Dane miss controls it and Andy Todd clears for Derby

60 mins

Johann Vogel replaced by Kerimoglu Tugay for Rovers.

59 mins

Friedel catches the ball for Blackburn after Derby hit a long free kick into the Rovers box, its the first time the Rams have attacked this half.

58 mins

I just can't believe how comfortable Derby looked in the first half and how bad they look now! Every time Blackburn go forward it looks as if they're going to score.

57 mins

Derby just don't know whats happening here as Blackburn nearly rip through their defence again.

55 mins

Another shot for Blackburn. Roberts hits an overhead kick and Carroll makes a great save to turn it away for a corner.

54 mins

Santa Cruz hits a left footed shot just wide. After it started so brightly for the Rams they really do look like they've hit the self destruct button here with Rovers looking like they're going to run away with it.

53 mins

Absolute suice from Derby again, they throught the whistle was going to go for offside and allowed Bentley to run through. His cross though is poor, let off for Derby.

51 mins

Warnock takes a free kick for Rovers into the Derby box but Moore clears and Eddie Lewis takes it away for county.

48 mins

Free kick from 30 yards out taken by Pedersen for Rovers but its straight into the wall.

47 mins

Roberts could have had another straight away but his shot is blocked.

46 mins

Oh dear, Derby self destruct again. Andy Todd plays an absolutely shocking back pass towards Roy Carroll. Jason Roberts intercepts for Rovers and puts it past the Derby keeper.

46 mins

Free kick Derby, taken long into the box by Andy Todd and it falls for Earnshaw who takes a left footed volley from 20 yards out. Well wide.

45 mins

Blackburn get us underway for this second half here in Lancashire. Lets hope for another open half and a few more goals. No changes for either side.

45 mins

One all then, its been an open and good game. Miller opened the scoring for Derby but Santa Cruz replies for Rovers into first half injury time.

45 mins

Into first half injury time and Pedersen hits a wicked cross across the Derby goal mouth. Roy Carroll can only parry it into the feet of Roque Santa Cruz who pokes the ball into the net.

45 mins

Blackburn corner. Pedersen takes but Tyrone Mears clears easily for Derby.

42 mins

Reid takes a long throw into the box for Blackburn but former Rover Andy Todd clears with a good header.

41 mins

Earnshaw pulls the trigger from 12 yards out for Derby but Stephen Warnock manages to block it. It was a good shot and had Warnock not been there it would have surely gone in.

40 mins

Derby corner, taken by Savage towards the near post but Pedersen clears for Blackburn.

38 mins

Miles Addison who is making his debut for Derby appears to be shouting orders at the veteran Robbie Savage, good to see and we could have a good player in the making with Addison.

37 mins

Bentley heaps another cross into the Derby Penalty area, Darren Moore heads clear.

35 mins

Very open and end to end game here. Could be more goals in this. Blackburn wont want to get beat by Derby at Home and Derby of course trying to not get that record of the lowest ever points haul in the Premier League.

33 mins

Samba meets Benteys cross from a free kick. From that far out you'd expect the big centre back to score but he heads it straight at a grateful Roy Carroll.

32 mins

Brilliant shot from David Bentley, Roberts chests it down to him and he tries to lift it over Roy Carroll from 25 yards but the Irish keeper manages to tip it over the bar while back peddleing. Carroll then catches Bentleys corner.

29 mins

Earnshaw challenged in the box by Ryan Nelson, he looks towards Referee Uriah Rennie but its no penalty.

28 mins

Looks like Moores alright for Derby.

26 mins

Roy Carroll kicks the ball out of play as Darren Moore goes down injured for Derby. He wasn't involved in a challenge and it looks like his knee might have gone.

24 mins

Pedersen tries a free kick from miles out for Rovers (ok not miles but too far to score), it flies well high and well wide.

22 mins

Three corners in quick succession for Blackburn but they can't do anything with them. The pressure ends when Ryan Nelson heads over the bar.

21 mins

Pedersen smashes a cross into the Derby Box but Darren Moore clears for a corner.

18 mins

Relegated Derby County take the lead through Kenny Miller. Miller beats the offside trap and places an excellent shot past Brad Friedel to give the Rams the lead.

17 mins

Brilliant run by Bentley, excellent cross in but Miles Addison clears for a corner.

15 mins

Savage gets a great tackle in on the edge of the Derby box to disposess Jason Roberts. The welshman is having a good game against his former employers here.

14 mins

Derby corner taken by Savage but the giant Christopher Samba clears for Blackburn.

13 mins

Eddie Lewis takes a shot from about 30 yards for Derby, its not good enough and Friedel catches comfortably.

9 mins

Pedersen squanders a great chance for Blackburn, a speculative ball is hit into the Derby box and Pedersen got himself on the end of Santa Cruz's flick on but he can't finish it off.

8 mins

Right footed shot over the bar from Jason Roberts (Blackburn), he'll be dissapointed that he hasn't hit the target after going one on one with Roy Carroll.

7 mins

Very poor backpass from Steven Reid (Rovers), Earnshaw latches on to it but his shot sails just over the Blackburn crossbar.

6 mins

Derby free kick after Emerton fouls Ghaly. Savage spreads it out wide to Andy Todd. The cross comes in but Fridel gathers.

4 mins

Wonderful ball in from Robbie Savage for Derby, Samba clears for Blackburn facing his own goal.

3 mins

Blackburn free kick, about 40 yards out. He has a go but Carroll catches it easily.

2 mins

Nothing to report yet except the Derby fans in Hawaiian shirts and with a giant Banana, If you've had a season like theirs why not have a party?

0 mins

Derby get us underway here at Ewood Park. Derby fans have come out in party mood despite their abismal season. Both teams with little to play for, Derby down and Blackburn out of European contention. Could be a nice and open one, lets hope anyway.

Match Report

Blackburn Rovers still harbour hopes of sneaking into Europe via the back door that is the Intertoto Cup as they prepare to host Derby County at Ewood Park.

Speaking after last weekend's 1-0 win at Portsmouth, manager Mark Hughes called for one final push in a bid to finish as high up the table as possible.

UEFA Cup qualification via a fifth placed finish in the table is now out of reach, but if eighth-placed Rovers can edge ahead of Portsmouth and Aston Villa, then the Intertoto route is possible.

"We know we are not depending on ourselves any more," he said. "But if we can pick up the six points that are left then we'll see what happens after that - we'll either be lucky or unlucky."

Roque Santa Cruz's second-half winner at Fratton Park - his 21st goal of an impressive season - ensured Rovers closed the gap to four points on Villa and confidence is high at Ewood Park.

Rovers have lost only one of their last six games and they are unbeaten on home soil since December 23.

Hughes looks set to keep faith with his strikeforce of Santa Cruz and Jason Roberts for the visit of the already relegated Rams, while Switzerland international Johann Vogel has been a revelation in midfield following his free transfer signing in February.

Elsewhere, Hughes has a fully-fit squad to select from with Benni McCarthy back in training following a hamstring scare and Christopher Samba shrugging off a knee knock picked up against Portsmouth.

Derby County must win both of their two remaining matches if they are to avoid being relegated with the lowest points total in Premier League history.

The beleaguered Rams were relegated weeks ago on the back of a dismal season that has yielded just one victory and they seem certain to exit the top-flight without reaching Sunderland's record low of 15 points.

Paul Jewell's side have amassed just 11 points and his outclassed players suffered a 6-2 humiliation at the hands of Arsenal at Pride Park on Monday night.

Afterwards Jewell promised changes to his squad for the umpteenth time this season, saying: "I'm not saying 11 players will have to go but I'm talking about the mentality of the whole football club.

"I want to see some real men in the trenches next year and we need to get out of this rut we are in.

"I certainly know who I want to keep now and who I want to bring in and hopefully it's going to be a case of onwards and
upwards."

Derby at least gave a good account of themselves when they lost 2-1 at home to Blackburn Rovers back in December.

Blackburn Rovers

Derby County

Corners

10 1

Fouls

12 17

Goal attempts

25 6

Shots off target

11 3

Offsides

1 2

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