Premiership: Derby victorious in relegation battle

Bolton 1 Derby 3

John Gregory is beginning to weave his magic as Derby manager just six games into his tenure at Pride Park.

They made it 10 points from 18 since he took charge with this comfortable victory over their fellow strugglers.

While Derby look on the up, Bolton are heading back towards the First Division after only one win in 17 league games.

They had keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen red-carded five minutes from the end to complete a miserable day.

Bolton almost made the breakthrough after four minutes when Paul Warhurst released Ricardo Gardner.

The Jamaican international couldn’t get the direction right from the edge of the area and his shot drifted wide.

Bolton forward Youri Djorkaeff then picked out Michael Ricketts 20 yards from goal but his touch let him down.

Derby hit back and Jaaskelainen did well to tip over Warren Barton’s cross from the right.

Paul Boertien swung in the corner and Chris Riggott peeled away from his marker to send in a powerful header.

It beat the keeper only for skipper Gudni Bergsson to clear the ball off the line.

Derby kept up the pressure and Ravanelli saw his header finish narrowly over the top after fine cross from Luciano Zavango.

It was a worrying spell for Bolton and the home supporters were again becoming restless.

Ricketts was looking short of confidence and allowed Giorgi Kinkladze to take the ball off his toes after Bruno N’Gotty’s pass.

Derby opened the scoring after 22 minutes after a blunder by Paul Warhurst.

He tried to send a cushion header back to the keeper after Ravanelli had played the ball in.

Instead the delivery was woefully short and Malcolm Christie nipped in to hook the ball home.

Bolton poured forward and Gardner launched a long ball forward but keeper Andy Oakes dashed out of his goal to thwart Ricketts.

The Bolton striker found space to get on the end of Warhurst’s through ball but again Oakes was equal to his shot.

Derby were playing with a lot of confidence and Christie released Ravanelli with a delicate back heel.

However the Italian couldn’t take advantage of his young partner’s bit of cheek.

Ricketts then missed his kick with his back to goal on the stroke of half time after N’Gotty and Djorkaeff had linked up.

Bolton made a blistering start to the second half and scored within 30 seconds.

Gardner latched onto a clearance and rifled a stunning shot beyond Oakes from the edge of the area.

It was sudden and remarkable turnaround and one wonders what manager Sam Allardyce’s team talk must have been like at the break.

Bolton almost added a second in the 50th minute when Bergsson launched himself forward.

His effort went beyond keeper Oakes but Danny Higginbotham got back to clear off the line.

However, the game took another twist in the 52nd minute when Derby regained the lead.

Ravanelli got on target with his first goal this year, heading the ball over the keeper after Boertien and Christie had linked up.

Nicky Southall then came on for Bergsson, who was injured, going for goal.

Bolton boss Allardyce was forced to make another change in the 62nd minute when Mike Whitlow was carried off.

The experienced defender, who had been suffering from a rib injury, was injured after a challenge on Ravanelli.

Frandsen came on with Warhurst joining Southall in a new parternhip at the back.

It was a worrying scenario for Allardyce with his team a goal down and Bergsson already in the treatment room.

But Derby were looking more and more solid as the game progressed and Djorkaeff was making little impact.

Sub Fredi Bobic squandered a good chance for Bolton in the 73rd minute by heading over a cross from Gardner.

They were reduced to 10 men in the 85th minute when keeper Jaaskelainen was sent off for tripping sub Lee Morris as he went around him.

Southall went beaten the posts but couldn’t prevent Danny Higginbotham scoring from the penalty spot.