Pride Park, the sun shines; in the East Stand we wish we had brought our caps, hands over our eyes the game gets underway.

Two minutes on the clock and Nathan Tyson under pressure on the edge of the West Ham box finds Callum Ball. Our youngster holds, turns and then unleashes a shot into the top far corner of the net.

We erupt in the stands. Our eyes open wider, WOW what a goal.

The Hammers fans stand motionless as Ball is buried under white shirt on white shirt in front of the Marston’s Corner.

Eventually the Claret and Blue restart. It’s more of the same as Derby run the game.

With the average frequency of a London bus, seven minutes later another one comes.

This time it’s from the opposite side of the pitch. Gareth Roberts jinks a tempting waist height cross into the six yards box, Paul Green is bravest throwing himself at the ball, it comes off his head, shoulder or some other part of his anatomy.

We can’t tell, we don’t care, the ball is in the back of the net and the Rams lead by two goals to nil after nine minutes.

For another five minutes we keep up the pace, and then it drops. We slow it down, throw ins are rolled from ball boys to players with the urgency of a tree sloth just waking from slumber. Frank Fielding tests the referee’s patience on every goal kick.

Frustrating tactics yet however understandable it does allow the seemingly petulant schoolboys of West Ham back into the game. Henri Lansbury is the first Iron into Jonathan Moss’s book for something he said and said and said. One could be forgiven for thinking we had Man U on the pitch.

As time ticks towards the interval Derby are defending with two banks of four, conceding possession twenty yards into our own half. We have no out ball, we break lose the ball and its back to all in defending.

Eventually the banks crash and West Ham with clever pass and move football overwhelm Derby, Frederick Piquionne picks out Frank Nouble who side foots the ball into the bottom corner of the net to reduce the deficit to 2-1.

Ball works his way free only to shave the far post with his powerfully drive from a tight angle just before the half time whistle.

Second half and the Hamsters are out early, by dribs and drabs Derby appear, Tyson is absent and Theo Robinson partners Ball up front.  It’s a welcome switch, suddenly Ball and Robinson are playing as a pair, Ball getting the knock downs into Robinson’s path and Theo setting up Ball for the shot.

It’s a temporary reprieve as West Ham press forward, Fielding again coming to the rescue. Robinson is penalised for getting the better of Tomkins on the half way line then moments later Joey O’Brien earns a yellow for jumping at Theo after he had won the ball. Big Sam disagreed and the fourth official signalled over the referee.

With the home fans shouting “Off, Off, Off”, common sense prevailed and Allardyce was persuaded to return to the dug out.

Winston Reid and Callum Ball clashed near the touchline, both players with feet flying at a three foot high ball. The awarding of a throw to the Rams, too much for Reid whose petulant display of berating the assistant referee in front of him and smashing the ball into the turf with an eight foot high rebound was clearly enough to become the third Iron to have his name taken. West Ham was acting like schoolboys not used to losing.

Substitutions came and went, the Hammers throwing forward after forward on as the Rams replace Jamie Ward with Ben Davies, and eventually Ball leaves to a standing ovation to be replaced by Jake Buxton.

Carlton Cole marks his thirty minute cameo with a booking for dissent again throwing the ball down into the pitch as another decision fails to go the way of the visitors. It’s a shame really because West Ham play some refined football and their players have undoubted skills such as Dan Potts, son of Upton Park legend Steve Potts who after a shaky start played exceptionally well on the left hand side of the pitch.

Four minutes of injury time signalled and played and the Rams make it back to back wins at home over the Christmas period.

Happy New Year all.

Photo: Action Images

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