This was a long awaited fixture, the visitors came in many people's eyes as Champions-elect, although this was a chance to perhaps put that in doubt. Not many weeks ago of course, it was Town who were the expected winner of this league, but that's how it goes. People forget that we never do things the easy way. With 3 points being so sought after, the rumours of Sunderland's apparent keeper crisis was welcomed a few days before the match. It was obvious though, that no way were all of their goalies injured as some reported. The game saw another visit of once Tractor Boy hero Marcus Stewart, who would surely do his old pals a favour and have an off game as he seems to have done against us at Portman Road in the past? Of course, any positives we had about the game were hugely outweighed by the fact that Sky were in Town. We almost never perform for the telly. I wish they'd just go away sometimes. Thankfully this live performance was not at all as embarrassing as the previous one. The game was fast and furious from the off - Town got stuck in, chasing down Sunderland and giving them the same treatment often dished out to us. There were a few early chances for Town and the signs were good, but the home side were dealt a blow after 25 minutes with that ridiculously harsh penalty. Fabian Wilnis slid in/over with a challenge in the box, and Stewart lashed the ball at him from just a few yards. It cannoned off his upper arm on which he was supporting his bodyweight. Yeah, deliberate handball ref. That just about summed up the official's game. Marcus Stewart was always an honourable chap though, and duly missed the resulting spot kick. HE tried one of his trademark stuttering runs (don't you hate those?) but Davis stood firm, and perhaps in that split second it through the striker who shot beyond the post to his right. The keeper at the other end was not having such a good match. Poom's understudy Michael Ingham looked shaky throughout, and Town should've been testing him more. After half time, Sunderland were continueing to threaten on the break. It didn't seem to ring any alarm bells for Town and we were riding our luck at times. We didn't seem to have as much possession but still plenty of chances, and finally one went in. We actually scored from a corner. What should have been an easy catch for Ingham was spilt into the path of Naylor who poked the ball goalwards. The player in the goalmouth appeared to clear momentarily but De Vos made sure it went in. The lino gave Naylors effort anyway. Town could've done with a bit of profesionalism by settling the game down for a bit, but Sunderland were soon on level terms again. Brian Dean had only just come onto the pitch when he headed down a short cross from the right into the path of Elliot who made no mistake. Ok, a nice move from them but slack at the back for us again. The Black Cats' tails were certainly up after this, and although we still had a couple of chances it was almost inevitable that they'd score another. It was another disapointing goal to concede I thought, we had a chance to clear the ball in from towering Brian Deane, but it didn't happen and they bagged another one. Pablo Counago had just come on for Currie prior to this, and I could hear the mixed feelings his introduction provoked. After a minute or two he blazed into Sunderland though, and like him or not he made a difference. In fact it was he who got the assist with the equaliser, laying off a Kuqi flick on into the path of Darren Bent. The striker poked the ball first time beyond the keeper. The crowd egged their side on for a winner, and it almost came in the dying seconds as again, keeper Ingham fumbled allowing Westy to shoot. His effort was parried to Kuqi whot steadied before shooting, and the ball appeared to be stopped by the arm of a Sunderland defender on it's way goalwards. There was total disgust as the ref turned a blind eye, and chickened out of making an important descision at such a late stage. A point was really our minimum from this game, 3 would've put us in a far better position obviously, but at least we didn't suffer a defeat which surely would've consigned us to the playoffs once and for all. As it stands, Wigan have a couple of difficult fixtures and could slip up, but of course we still have to win all 3 too.
I felt a tad guilty at the end of this match when I found out that Rotherham had in fact been relegated due to this result. They played a blinder here at Portman Road, no 10-man defensive wall to break down, they came and played footie.
That said, we should've buried them in the first hour. We hit the ground running and passed it around for fun, enjoying most of the possession and putting together some long sequences of one-touch passes you normally only see in the last few minutes of a game when you're 3 goals to the good and taking the piss.
Maybe that was part of the trouble, after taking the lead early on and looking like scoring a hat full, the players looked as though they thought the game was dead and buried. Rotherham stuck to their task admirably though, and kept coming at us with increasing determination.
The opener came from a neat diagonal to Currie deep and wide in the box, which he lofted gently over into the centre where Ian Westlake lurched to head the ball home from just a few yards. The scene was set for the nice football that followed. The Millers had started brightly too though, and had their own chances before and after we scored.
Bent was again looking sharp and creative, and had come close to getting on the scoresheet before doubling town's lead. Tommy Miller chipped through a ball right into his path, and it sat up perfectly for Bent who volleyed it home giving the keeper no chance.
Rotherham weren't having any of this "rout" nonsense though, and no sooner had play restarted when they pulled one back. A classic piece of dithering from Jason De Vos put Thorpe in and he was given time to pause, shimmy, wait for a tackle, then tie his shoe lace before shooting past Kelvin Davis. That was a shame, it spoiled an excellent spell from Town, but then we never do things the easy way.
It was 2-1 at half time, and the game resumed with a similar pattern of Town dominating, but Rotherham still getting some good chances through the generosity of our defence (a sign of what was to come).
The third goal for Town was welcome, and again it was from Bent. Kuqi, busy all evening sent Westlake deep on the right, and he managed a low and square ball across the box which our leading scorer guided simply home.
Soon after it was 4, and the game was briefly put beyond doubt. Currie feigned to advance into the box but cleverly laid the ball to skipper Jim Magilton, who had time to step, look in disbelief at the goal-scoring opportunity before him, pinch himself, compose, then lash a low drive 20 yards inside the far post. He's on a roll that man, and once again looked ecstatic.
This is where the fun ended, and began Rotherham's determination to salvage something and perhaps gain a stay of execution with regard to the drop. They pulled one back when Campbell-Ryce blasted an effort goalwards after some sloppy defending, Davis saving but not holding and Butler mopped up the rebound.
A wake up call? for most teams, maybe, but not Town apparently who just looked shakier and shakier. The Millers had us completely rattled, and they knew it.
Campbell-Ryce had been very lively for the visitors down their left side, making several unstoppable forays into the Town half, and it would've been some justice had his effort actually gone in. He was replaced with about 20 minutes to go, much to the relief of the home fans who unusually gave him a fully deserved standing ovation.
Their third goal was simply unfortunate for us, a free-kick cannoned off our wall fooling Davis completely as it's path changed from right to left. It looped agonisingly slowly down into the net, and prompted perhaps the most painful last few minutes of football in recent months (actually no, there's been plenty).
Thankfully we held on, but the Millers left holding their heads high. Our regaining of second place in the table was greeted with cheers from the crowd, many of whom like me, didn't realise Rotherham were now relegated. You've got to feel sorry for them, and given that performance wish them every luck for next season.
If ever I had a bad feeling about a game it was this one. Derby seem to be better away from home and have been in pretty good form, plus of course it was another visit from George, who was obviously going to be keen to get one over on his former employees. I needn't have worried though, I had the same feeling before the Forest match and we just sneaked that one.
Derby looked pretty neat from the off, as you'd expect from George Burley they were passing the ball well. Town looked bright too though, and early signs were of a good match.
That optimism soon swung back to pessimism though, when Derby took the lead in the 6th minute. They broke forward down the right and looked to out-number us at the back, and bundled in a cross which Tudgay met with apparent surprise, putting a strange looping header over Davis into the far corner.
Although Kuqi almost equalised soon after from a Bent cross, we looked a little rattled and Derby almost got another. Eventually Town got back into the rhythm of things, and showed more determination. There were one or two 'hopeful' balls forward at times, but on the whole we were passing it well by then.
With chance after chance coming Town's way, it seemed inevitable that we'd score. Richard Naylor was unlucky with a fierce header from a corner which rattled the crossbar.
Derby always looked to break and score though, and had they done so we could've seen a different result altogether. Thankfully though we scored the next goal, through some excellent work by Kuqi down the right. Having brought the ball from his own half he slid the ball to Bent in the box, and with Jim Magilton advancing into space he calmly slotted the ball into his path. Magic blasted a low drive goalwards first time, and after a slight deflection it was in the back of the net.
It was his first goal for over 18 months, and he looked like he really enjoyed the moment, punching the air with his fist in front of the South Stand crowd.
There followed a sustained period of Town pressure before half time came with Kuqi coming close again, and Derby must have been relieved not to have conceded again.
The Huddlestone incident prompted a poor piece of refereeing, the Derby defender having been booked once, brought down Darren Bent on the edge of the box with a cynical flick of the boot, but the ref seemed to indicate that Bent had dived (I thought diving was a bookable offence too?).
As Derby had done in the first half, we had the dream start to the second, with Bent being put clean through after a Derby mix up (they had kicked the game off). The Town striker found himself in a 1-on-1 with the keeper, but unlike so many cases recently, he slotted the ball past Camp into the net. 12 seconds apparently!
We continued in the same vein and largely dominating, although Derby had plenty of clear cut chances to score. It was 'good stuff' though from both sides, entertaining and an increasingly good atmosphere.
The 3rd goal seemed illusive as so many chances came close but were either cleared or missed. Without a 2 goal cushion Derby were always a threat, so Tommy Miller's goal was met with great relief.
Currie's corner was met by flying-finn Kuqi, but his header was cleared right off the line. The ball came out to Miller however, and he struck it sweetly keeping it low and it found it's way through the mob in the box and into the net.
Jim went off with Town apparently cruising, but his replacement Horlock was somewhat lacklustre. With perhaps the foot off the pedal a bit, Derby got a goal back with 6 minutes to go, which made the closing stages nervy. The 3 minutes injury time was not welcome at all.
We did hang on though, and in fact almost the very last kick of the match saw Davis make a smart save. A Derby free-kick was sent into the box and somehow Bisgaard (or Rasiyak?) stole in to thump a close range header to Davis' left. Thankfully he held on too.
That was such an important win. The result from Wigan was met with a huge roar of delight after the final whistle, and it's all game on again for the promotion race.