Derby climb table with Leeds win

Derby 2 Leeds 0

Goals from Derby’s Tommy Smith and Adam Bolder secured a Pride Park victory over Leeds and propel the Rams into the play-off zone for the first time this season.

The hosts’ three points hoisted them from eighth in the Coca-Cola Championship table to fifth with 48 points having played 31 games.

Smith – who had laid the foundations of his own effort in the centre circle - opened the scoring shortly after the hour before Bolder struck in the 90th minute to guarantee Derby’s first victory over Leeds for 18 years.

The first action of note occurred in the Rams’ penalty box though as, with just 10 seconds on the clock, United striker Michael Ricketts picked up a yellow card after clattering Rams goalkeeper Lee Camp – who had advanced from his line to collect a long ball from right-back Gary Kelly.

Camp was in action again shortly after the five-minute mark when a defensive error from Pablo Mills gifted an opportunity to David Healy but the Elland Road striker failed to test Camp.

Inigo Idiakez responded with a fierce free-kick fired from 25 yards which was collected at the second attempt by Sullivan.

In the 15th minute, Rams skipper Ian Taylor forced a one-handed save from Sullivan and from the corner, Idiakez hit the bar.

Derby were soon moving forward again though and Smith’s curling effort was denied only by more heroics from Sullivan.

Seconds later, Grzegorz Rasiak could only head wide from an Idiakez flag-kick and as Derby pressed again, Rasiak robbed Frazer Richardson, who had dawdled on the ball near the byline. The Polish international cut the ball back to Marco Reich – but he could only head over.

The Rams looked liveliest in the early stages of the second half but Reich could only slice a right-footed shot wide after cutting in from his accustomed position on the left wing.

Michael Johnson, on for the injured Richard Jackson, threatened his own goal when he attempted to clear a Richardson cross from the Leeds left but instead sliced the ball wildly across the face of his own goal and narrowly wide.

As the hour approached Camp needed two attempts to collect a shot from Healy which had squirmed between the England Under-21 goalkeeper’s legs.

Then, with 64 minutes gone, the hosts took the lead after Smith took possession in the centre circle and spread the ball wide to right-back Jeff Kenna.

The ball was returned to Smith in the Leeds D, with the Rams striker rounding Clarke Carlisle, Sullivan and then Richardson to create the space needed to lash the ball high into the roof of the net.

The victory was assured when substitute Bolder’s 18-yard effort found the back of the net after Sullivan was wrong-footed by a deflection off Richardson.