It was a privilege being at Dean Court last night watching Bournemouth and Derby County battle it out at the top of the Championship.

From the opening seconds to the closing minutes this was a game that would have graced the Champions League let alone the Premiership.

Both teams played fast flowing exhilarating football, the ball being moved incredibly quickly as flicks and one touches mesmerised not only the opposition but also the fans watching. It was difficult to keep up.

The Rams started strongly cutting through the home sides ranks, Will Hughes and Tom Ince combining like Siamese Twins such was their understanding. We are looking incredibly sharp, controlling the game, five minutes of White shirted blurs as we fly past the seemingly stoned Cherries.

Then it changes.

Lee Grant with the ball in his hands looks to kick up field, Callum Wilson moves to block his kick, Grant tries again, Wilson blocks. Third attempt and the goalkeeper carries the ball outside the area before grabbing it and pulling it back in. The linesman flags. The referee not watching reacts and all hell breaks free.

Options are either - a) it's a foul by Wilson, Unsporting Behaviour, preventing the goalkeeper playing the ball or b) Deliberate Handball a free kick and a sending off.

Mark Clattenburg after being surrounded by both teams and with the cries of "Off, Off, Off" reverberating around the tiny but packed stadium gives a direct free kick to Bournemouth but takes no further action against Grant.

The ball balloons over the bar, yet it upsets our rhythm.

Bournemouth though take heart and we Rams are on the rack. We are grilled through our spine we are roasted on our flanks, Mark Pugh the chief culprit. I take that back culprit is the wrong word, genius is better. And fairer.

We can't contain, we concede, a wonder goal from Matt Richie after a fabulous chest down by Yann Kermorgant , we trail, our heads momentarily down.

Top scorer Chris Martin departs after pulling up earlier, a cruel blow for the visiting fans.

It's fantastic football though - both sides running with the ball, passing and moving, the best match I've seen for more than a decade, we feel there's more goals to come. And come they do.

Darren Bent chases down a lost cause, the defender slips and Bent uses his experience to pick out Ince and our youngster slips the ball sideways to gain a yard before blasting a wonder strike into the back of the net to level the scores. No let up wanted, no inch given, hammer and tong the sides exchange blows, like two punch drunk boxers we exchange blows, never knowing when to stop.

If only we can get to halftime level.

We can't, a mistake on our goal line a clearance blocked and Wilson takes his chance to hammer the ball home and put the Cherries back into the lead.

Second half and it's more cautious, less football, more tension. That's not to say it's not a cracking game of football because is it, it's just slightly less frenetic.

Eventually we equalise, Simon Dawkins is fed into the box, he turns and picks out Bent who runs the ball forward before smashing the ball over the despairing goalkeeper Artur Boruc.

Scores level and twenty minutes left, both sides seek the victory, neither quite make it, Derby slightly more threatening but it ends 2-2.

Seriously I doubt any fan will see a better game all season.

Thank you Derby County, thank you Bournemouth - if two teams deserve to go up it's last nights. You gentlemen were all outstanding. 10/10.

Even the Highways Agency and the overnight closing of the M3, the M25 and the A1 couldn't dampen my mood. Two Thirty I arrived back at Grantham.

I'll remember this game not for the journey but for the everlasting quality of the football.

Photo: Action Images

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