Contact us
Send us your news tips, photos and videos Text LT and your message to 80360 or click here for more ways to contact us »
Full-time: Blackburn Rovers 3 Derby County 1
4:57pm Saturday 3rd May 2008
Comments (22)ROQUE Santa Cruz celebrated being named Blackburn Rovers' player of the year by scoring twice to sink relegated Derby County.
The prolific Paraguayan took his personal tally for the season to 23 goals when he struck in the 45th and 77th minutes, as Rovers secured a victory that keeps their hopes of qualifying for Europe firmly alive.
Derby had taken a shock first half lead courtesy of former Celtic hitman Kenny Miller.
However, a double from Santa Cruz, either side of a Jason Roberts strike, ensured Rovers wrapped up their home campaign on a winning note.
The Rams broke the deadlock in the 19th minute following a costly defensive error.
Roy Carroll's long punt down field should have been dealt with comfortably by Steven Reid and Stephen Warnock but both players stopped, thinking Miller was offside, and the Scotland international raced through unchallenged to slot a cool finish beyond Brad Friedel.
After that, it was all Rovers as Brett Emerton, Ryan Nelsen, David Bentley and Chris Samba all had chances.
Finally, that pressure told in the 45th minute, when Morten Gamst Pedersen fired in a shot that Carroll could only parry and Santa Cruz swooped to mgobble up the rebound.
In the second half Rovers found another gear, and once Roberts made it 2-1 there was only ever going to be one outcome.
An error from Andy Todd left Roberts one-on-one with Carroll and the former Wigan man made no mistake from 10 yards out.
Rovers could have scored a hatful after that but Roberts was denied three times by Carroll, and Nelsen went close with a volley.
However, a third goal did arrive in the 77th minute, Bentley crossing to the far post where Santa Cruz arrived to score with a diving header.
Rovers: Friedel, Reid, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Bentley, Emerton, Vogel, Pedersen, Santa Cruz, Roberts. Subs: Tugay (for Vogel, 61), Derbyshire (forRoberts, 79), Olsson (for Roberts 80) Not used: Ooijer, Brown Derby: Carroll, Mears, Todd, Moore, McEveley, Addison, Savage, Ghaly, Lewis, Miller, Earnshaw. Subs: Villa (for Lewis, 72), Sterjovski (for Ghaly, 66) Not used: Feilhaber, Beardsley, Price
Your Say YourThis Is Lancashire
Lars, Denmark says...
5:07pm Sat 3 May 08
And just as good:
Villa lose!
Pmouth lose!
Great weekend to be a rover
Norfolkrover, Sheringham says...
5:12pm Sat 3 May 08
Daniel, Spain says...
5:17pm Sat 3 May 08
Great result today coupled with Villa and Pompey losing gives us real hope going into the final game. Come on lads!! :D
Rovers girl, Blackburn says...
5:36pm Sat 3 May 08
THE FIGHT FOR EUROPE IS STILL ON!!
COME ON ROVERS!!
bluenwhite, says...
6:20pm Sat 3 May 08
Rovers girl wrote:well, ive got to say i thought you were talking rubbish over the last few weeks about us qualifying for Europe. Happily you were right.
Rovers today were brilliant. To end the last home game of the season in a winning way was fab. Congrats to Tugay and Roque for their awards. I really hope we keep all our players and Tugay gets a new contract. THE FIGHT FOR EUROPE IS STILL ON!! COME ON ROVERS!!
Just need to beat Bham and hope the hammers hold villa to a draw.
Happy days.
Mike, Bellevue, Nebraska, USA says...
7:10pm Sat 3 May 08
Trev, manchester says...
7:16pm Sat 3 May 08
kev, worksop says...
8:46pm Sat 3 May 08
mike, says...
9:05pm Sat 3 May 08
Everyone knows im not over keen on the Uefa cup, but it look like we could get there now, just hope it won't effect our league form too badly next season.
Against better oposition next week, I think we need to swap emerton and reid bact to their normal positions. Reid looked like a nervous wreck today, and against a paceful attack, his backpassing, and positioning in defence could well cost us.
robbie, Manchester says...
9:41pm Sat 3 May 08
lots of ifs and buts, but but we can do it..
everyone get ya butts down to brum and scream the lads on..
COME ON..
and yes i am very drunk..
Jamie, wrexham says...
11:06pm Sat 3 May 08
robbie wrote:Ye totally agree!! The Derby fans were great 2day and we need 2 go down 2 Bham and do the same.
We just have to hope west ham dont have the holiday heads on next week and can nick atleast a point from villa, and if we can win intertoto here we come.. lots of ifs and buts, but but we can do it.. everyone get ya butts down to brum and scream the lads on.. COME ON.. and yes i am very drunk..
We prob wont make Europe but who knows.
Howard Gayle, says...
7:49am Sun 4 May 08
Jason Roberts has his part to play in the squad but he's not a natural goal scorer.He had two 1 on 1's and McCarthy would have finished them.
Anyway, if we play half decent next week, we'll win, send them down and hopefully make Europe.
Come on Rovers!
Mike Berry, Ribble Valley says...
10:02am Sun 4 May 08
Now for a reality check. I think we've rode our luck a bit this season and it's vital that some real quality is injected into the team.
The first half was appalling - did you Mark's face on the screen when we equalised ? I reckon the players got a real rollicking at half time.
Thought that Warnock, again, was terrific in attitude and performance, that bone cruncher on Sav ! Santa, alaways seem to be in the right place at the right time to deliver.
Weak links - Reid and Nelsen are going backwards quickly and are liabilities, Vogel has yet to convince me - though neat at times what else does he do and Roberts, a handful yes but not tue Premiership quality - alaways not quite there and misses too many chances.
robbie, Manchester says...
10:17am Sun 4 May 08
Jamie wrote:ok i have a hangover from hell.. but jamie am i reading right did you agree with me
robbie wrote: We just have to hope west ham dont have the holiday heads on next week and can nick atleast a point from villa, and if we can win intertoto here we come.. lots of ifs and buts, but but we can do it.. everyone get ya butts down to brum and scream the lads on.. COME ON.. and yes i am very drunk..Ye totally agree!! The Derby fans were great 2day and we need 2 go down 2 Bham and do the same. We prob wont make Europe but who knows.
shaun, Darwen says...
10:32am Sun 4 May 08
nelson was injured at the start season and thoughtout most of it. It will take him more than the 2 or 3 months he has had to get back to form, he was outstanding v man utd and pompy..
vogal had not played in nearly a year, and to fit in the way he has clearly shows he is a outstanding player..
reid is not back to his best, but again i think it will be into next season before we see his best.. as he was out for over a year..
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
i hate doing what ifs, but.. we are 1 point behind 6th and i think its 4 behind 5th
we have droped some very silly points this season aka the
2 draws with fulham 4 points droped
the loss to wigan 3 points droped
the draw with reading 2 more points
as well as silly points we droped against west ham in games we should have won..
in total 9 points we should have picked up,
i work that out as we would have hit 67 points..
plus we drop points v middlesbough, and west ham in games we shoud have won.. if we could beaten middlesbrough, or atleast not lost to west ham. then we would have been above livepool
robbie, Manchester says...
10:55am Sun 4 May 08
shaun wrote:i agree with what ya say about the players, but every club has its what ifs.
just wanna say a few things. nelson was injured at the start season and thoughtout most of it. It will take him more than the 2 or 3 months he has had to get back to form, he was outstanding v man utd and pompy.. vogal had not played in nearly a year, and to fit in the way he has clearly shows he is a outstanding player.. reid is not back to his best, but again i think it will be into next season before we see his best.. as he was out for over a year.. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - i hate doing what ifs, but.. we are 1 point behind 6th and i think its 4 behind 5th we have droped some very silly points this season aka the 2 draws with fulham 4 points droped the loss to wigan 3 points droped the draw with reading 2 more points as well as silly points we droped against west ham in games we should have won.. in total 9 points we should have picked up, i work that out as we would have hit 67 points.. plus we drop points v middlesbough, and west ham in games we shoud have won.. if we could beaten middlesbrough, or atleast not lost to west ham. then we would have been above livepool
ossy rover, ossy says...
1:45pm Sun 4 May 08
keep the faith
andrew, blackburn says...
2:39pm Sun 4 May 08
did anyone else notice how glum bentley looked yesterday on the lap of honour thing?? either hes on his way or hes sulkin that he's not on his way, not what i wanted to see.
keep the faith... oh no wait that amazing catchphrase has already been taken :( il have to think of my own
Lars, Denmark says...
3:32pm Sun 4 May 08
ossy rover wrote:Agreed - there is always these kind of "what ifs". And as you mention, we too were lucky some times - I ecspecially remember one Bolton game (and my regards to Roberts).
why is it we only remember games were we drop points there have been games this year were we picked points up and prob didnt deserve them, the season sorts itself out we still have a chance for 6th spot and 61 points, and im willing to bet hughsie had a target of 60 in his mind start of the season. keep the faith
And what if some of the "big" clubs had been able to win the cups...
You win some and you lose some.
I for one am very very pleased with our point tally for the season - a probable 61 points!
Though I would love the Inter Toto THIS year - the parcipitating English team will probably go up against the DANISH team FC Copenhagen (a very very good team - except this season)
Cheers guys
And congrats to Roque for the Player of The Year award
bluenwhite, burnley says...
6:37pm Sun 4 May 08
Jamie wrexham, Wrexham says...
7:09pm Sun 4 May 08
bluenwhite wrote:Its easy to knock Robbie but he was good for us. I remember when Man Utd made the mistake of trying to play Rio in centre mid against us and Savage ran rings round him, so much so that Rio gifted us 2 goals and got himself sent off. He cant cut it now granted but he's like 33 or something. He'll be good in the championship next season for Derby. He'd get his place in the Burnley team thats 4 sure.
we should get savage back,hes brilliant!!!
ROB-BED: Rovers midfielder David Bentley scraps for possession with former Ewood Park favourite Robbie Savage
In this section
- Blow for Whites as cameras snub Reebok
- Albion dig their heels in over Robinson
- Taster sessions at Bolton Indians
- Luke Sutton wary of Worcester
- Withins success
- We’ll go to USA in tip-top condition, says Burnley boss
- Blackburn Rovers snub Fulham interest in Andrews
- Blackburn Rovers boss looks for ‘real quality’
- Burnley closer to Easton move
- Blackburn Rovers versus Burnley switched for Sky
Sponsored Links
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Roy Anderson, says...
5:04pm Sat 3 May 08
For once, the result turned out to be favourable. So very often, a lapse of concentration has resulted in a loss.
Well done lads!