Derby through to final after penalty shoot-out

Derby 2 Southampton 3 AET (4-4 on aggregate, Derby win 4-3 on penalties)

Derby reached the Coca-Cola Championship play-off final at Wembley after beating Southampton in a penalty shootout at Pride Park.

Darren Moore had given the Rams an early lead in regular time, only for Jhon Viafara to level and then propel Saints into the lead thanks to a second-half strike.

A Leon Best own goal made the scoreline 2-2 on the night and 4-3 to the Rams on aggregate, only for ex-Derby striker and Saints substitute Grzegorz Rasiak to take the tie into extra time.

But after a goalless extra 30 minutes, the Rams won the shootout 4-3 to set up a showdown with the winners of tomorrow night’s West Brom-Wolves semi-final at The Hawthorns.

The goalscoring drama started after the first corner of the game, taken in the second minute by Matt Oakley.

Moore headed home to give the hosts the lead, despite Kelvin Davis and Andy Surman’s best efforts to clear on the goalline.

But Saints were level in little more than 90 seconds.

Viafara volleyed home from long range after Rams goalkeeper Stephen Bywater could head only partially clear after being played into trouble by goalscorer Moore.

The action continued and former Ipswich and Sunderland keeper Davis needed two attempts to control a 21st-minute left-wing corner headed goalwards by Steve Howard.

Three minutes later the visitors won a flag-kick of their own, although Derby were able to clear without incident.

Surman fired wide of Bywater’s goal before Craig Fagan was off target from an acute angle at the other end.

Derby midfielder Seth Johnson was marginally wide with a low drive, before being booked shortly before the break by referee Andy D’Urso for a late challenge on Davis – who had been recalled by Saints’ former Rams boss George Burley in place of Bartosz Bialkowski.

The second half opened in earnest as Dean Leacock conceded a corner to Southampton after pressure from Best, but the hosts were again able to clear their lines without trouble.

And as Southampton piled on yet more pressure in the 54th minute, Best spread the ball right to an unmarked Viafara, who netted his second of the night to give Saints a 2-1 lead and level the aggregate score at 3-3.

Giles Barnes, whose season was thought to be over after the midfielder suffered a knee injury last month, replaced Jonathan Macken in the 62nd minute.

In the 65th minute he put pressure on Best, whose near post header flashed home from Johnson’s right-wing corner.

But then in the 90th minute, Saints substitute Djamel Belmadi burst through to cross for

Rasiak, who netted from close range to keep his team’s hopes of promotion alive and take the tie into extra time.

Extra time opened with Pearson crossing from the left and a lunging Fagan narrowly failing to make telling contact with the Saints goal at his mercy.

In the 96th minute, Howard flicked on for Fagan whose effort was tipped onto the crossbar by Davis before Chris Baird headed over at the cost of a fruitless Derby corner.

In the second half of extra time Rasiak went close ahead of the shootout in front of Southampton fans in the south stand.

But Best missed the visitors; first spot-kick and Inigo Idiakez their fourth to gift victory to the Rams, who had seen Jones, Howard, Barnes and Jay McEveley slot from 12 yards.