It's over.

Derby County 2-2 Fulham
Villa (10, 80); Kamara (24), Leacock o.g. (78)

I suppose we've known it since September but now the Rams have been officially relegated. Seeing that big red ‘R' next to our name on Soccer Saturday after the game was not surprisingly but still saddening, more so given that it's still only March.

The end of this season and indeed this team is in clear sight now but the fans are still there as always and we witnessed an entertaining display at Pride Park yesterday; a game made open by both teams' inability to retain possession. We also witnessed a spark from a little Tito Villa and sound games from fellow newcomers Sterjovski and Ghaly; key parts of any revival next season.

Although we didn't win and were relegated in the process, it was still nice to see an end to end game and even more pleasing to see Paul Jewell with a smile on his face after Villa's late equaliser.

Jay McEveley missed the game through a dead leg so Eddie Lewis made the frightening move to left back whilst Tito Villa started in place of Rob Earnshaw. There are murmuring that Hossam Ghaly's long-term future lies at Pride Park which given his recent showings is a mouth-watering prospect; I was one of the many fans suspicious of what Ghaly would bring to the team but since he's been here he's shown ability coupled with a terrific work rate, two attributes which will hopefully make mincemeat of Championship opposition.

Fulham look like following us down and they share many of our own failings; they can't keep the ball and can't convert decent chances and so down they go, despite having spent around twenty-five million during the course of the season; Mr. Al-Fayed will not be a happy chappy (even less so).

I arrived after Jimmy Bullard's early free kick so the first action I'll be commenting on is our opener and a rare bit of luck for the Rams; Leacock wanted the ball more than Andreasen and when the ball fell to the marauding defender his shot was deflected in by Villa who definitely stuck his leg out to purposefully divert the wayward shot goalwards.

David Jones, finally getting a regular spot in the side after months spent on the sideline watching inferior players play in his stead, then test Keller with a fine curling effort as for once the Rams looked like they fancied their chances.

However it didn't last as shoddy marking did for Derby again when first Simon Davies was given all the time in the world to pick out a cross and Diomansy Kamara netted a superb header under no challenge whatsoever despite the striker standing just outside the six yard box; Todd and Leacock both in no-man's land.

The Rams almost fired straight back when Miller got in behind and onto Jones' through ball but Keller was out swiftly to halt the soon-to-be-departed striker's progress. There was a shout for a penalty when Sterjovski's shot struck Hangeland but the replays show that the big defender, who looked a sort of expensive Darren Moore, could do nothing to get out of the way and a penalty would have been extremely harsh.

The first real chance of the second half fell to Fulham when Jimmy Bullard dived and then fired the resulting free kick against the cross bar with Carroll well beaten. The Rams came back though and Sterjovski almost had his first Rams goal when he latched onto the loose ball after Bullard made a mess of things but his rising drive was just palmed away by Keller.

The Rams should have taken the lead on 70 minutes when Lewis' cross was superbly flicked on by the back heel of Villa into the path of the onrushing Savage who with just the keeper to beat could only pass the ball back to the grateful Keller. It was a wonderful opportunity and another sign that a win just isn't coming our way.

12 minutes from time that, and indeed relegation, confirmed in the jammiest circumstances possible; Kamara beat the offside trap for the first time in about a hundred tries and scampered off the down the left, his shot was saved by Carroll but Bouazza followed up and hit a shot when deflected up and off of Leacock to surely seal the Rams' long-time fate.

It wasn't defeat though as the Rams roared back into life just a minute later and for once a fine move created a fine goal; Ghaly had the time and vision to pick out the excellent Sterjovski on the right and his crossed met by the towering header of Villa who knocked the ball past Keller for his third goal of the season.

It was another impressive aerial display from the diminutive frontman who gets up incredibly well for a man of his size and it was just reward for hard working game from a striker who, as Jewell said when he signed him, looks to have a bit of something in the locker. Hopefully that bit of something will turn into twenty-odd goals next season!

Rams: Carroll 7; Todd 6 (Mears 5); Moore 7; Leacock 7; Lewis 5; Sterjovski 7; Jones 7; Ghaly 7; Savage 6; Villa 8; Miller 5 (Earnshaw 6).

Fulham: Keller; Stalteri; Hughes; Hangeland; Konchesky; Andreasen; Davies; Bullard (Murphy); Bouazza (Johnson); McBride; Kamara.

Referee: M Dean.

Attendance: 33,034.

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Photo: Action Images

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