Derby County 1 Doncaster Rovers 3: Rovers end losing run by turning up pressure on Rams

Billy Sharp scored twice as Rovers, down to the bare bones due to a lengthy injury list, ended a run of six games without a win to ease their relegation fears and leave Derby looking anxiously over their shoulders.

The Pride Park faithful reacted angrily to Clough’s decision to bring off Theo Robinson just after Sharp’s second goal, with chants of ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ and the boos rang out as Joseph Mills added a third goal.

Steven Davies pulled a goal back right at the finish but the damage had already been done.

Clough’s side had the better of the first half but they were poor after the break and have now lost seven of their last eight at home.

On-loan Blades forward Jamie Ward went close with a right-foot strike from the edge of the penalty area after 13 minutes. Derby had another chance to take the lead 36 minutes in when Miles Addison picked out Ben Davies at the back post, but Rovers goalkeeper Gary Woods saved well with his feet.

Shaun Barker headed an inviting corner by Ben Davies over from close range five minutes before the break, but moments later the Rams were caught napping as Doncaster took the lead.

A long punt from Woods was not dealt with by the home defence and Sharp raced clear before firing clinically into the bottom-right corner with his right foot.

Woods did well to tip Ben Davies’s free-kick over three minutes later and Steven Davies was off target with another excellent chance just before the break.

Worse was to come for the home side as Rovers doubled their lead two minutes after the break.

John Oster jinked his way to the byline before standing up a cross to the far post where Sharp nodded home.

Rams boss Clough reacted by replacing Robinson, who scored the winner at Sheffield United on Saturday, with Bueno and the home fans voiced their disapproval.

The Rams were at sixes and sevens and Sharp should have completed his hat-trick when he raced clear after being picked out by Franck Moussa, but he dragged his left-foot finish wide.

With 20 minutes remaining, Mills surged forward and lashed a left-foot drive which Frank Fielding got a hand to but failed to keep out. Steven Davies pulled a goal back in the 90th minute, but it was nothing more than mere consolation.

Derby County: Fielding, Green, Barker, Ayala, Brayford, Ben Davies (Cywka 62), Savage, Addison (Pearson 57), Ward, Robinson (Bueno 52), Steve Davies. Unused substitutes: Atkins, Porter, Buxton, Doyle.

Doncaster Rovers: Gary Woods, Hird, Thomas, Friend, Mills, Oster, Keegan, Stock (Wilson 74), Moussa (Gillett 81), Sharp (Kilgallon 74), Shiels. Unused substitutes: Bradshaw, Webster, Souza, Burge.

Referee: K Hill (Hertfordshire).

• Substitute Dele Adebola struck a stoppage-time equaliser at the Riverside Stadium to aid Nottingham Forest’s automatic promotion bid.

Billy Davies’s men looked to be heading for a costly defeat after Scott McDonald’s 51st-minute strike for Middlesbrough but Adebola sealed a 1-1 draw.