€150m pain and gain game

Queens Park Rangers 1 Derby County 0

Derby’s Richard Keogh was slumped to the floor with tears streaming down his face after his error gifted Bobby Zamora the last minute winner and cost his club around €150m.

But on the other side of the Championship play-off final pitch, you could not wipe the smile off Richard Dunne as the Queens Park Rangers man rolled back the years with the kind of display that has won him 80 caps for his country. Dunne was magnificent to repel a Derby side who could not break down ten-man Rangers, who seemed fatally hindered by the 60th minute sending-off of Gary O’Neil, and now he is ready for another shot at the Premier League after a lengthy career there previously with Everton, Manchester City and Aston Villa. Who could believe that he missed the whole of last term with Villa due to a groin injury? While he is missing the national side’s programme of international friendlies this summer, the 34-year-old is prepared to make himself available to Martin O’Neill for the game in Georgia in September.