Rotherham 2 Ipswich 0: Derbyshire now has sights on beloved Blackburn

MATT DERBYSHIRE aims to follow the example of strike partner Conor Sammon by scoring against a former club tomorrow night.
Rotherham United's Conor Sammon celebrates scoring against former club Ipswich Town (Picture: Gordon Clayton).Rotherham United's Conor Sammon celebrates scoring against former club Ipswich Town (Picture: Gordon Clayton).
Rotherham United's Conor Sammon celebrates scoring against former club Ipswich Town (Picture: Gordon Clayton).

The forward travels to home-town club Blackburn Rovers after his second goal in three games helped the Millers make it seven points from a possible nine and move them six points clear of the drop zone.

Sammon sealed Saturday’s victory against faltering promotion-chasers Ipswich, for whom he scored just once in 19 appearances while on loan this season, with his second in three games after signing until the end of the season from Derby County.

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Derbyshire’s opener before the break had silenced some of the detractors who had been moaning about his lack of goals.

He believes his partnership with Sammon can be a fruitful one and now turns his sights to tomorrow’s game against a club he remains a fan of.

Former England Under-21 striker Derbyshire elected to join Rovers in 2003 from non-league Great Harwood Town rather than sign for Manchester United.

He scored 10 goals in 63 appearances for Rovers over six years but says: “Going into the Blackburn game, there is a positive vibe about the place, the vibe in the dressing room is fantastic.

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“I can’t wait for it. I am a Blackburn fan and have never hid that from anybody. I love the club but listen, I’m a Rotherham player and given the chance to score a bagful of goals against them I would love to.”

Derbyshire departed to warm applause on Saturday but says he understands the fans’ frustration with him. “It’s always nice to get on the scoresheet but obviously the most important thing is to get three points.

“I think I have been a bit unfortunate. I’ve been getting in good positions but have been unfortunate not to score. When the luck turns your way, the ball goes in. Hopefully, I can keep the run going and so can the team.

“When you start a game you get into it a lot more and I have been starting the last three games and that’s very important for a forward, for any player really. I am very happy for the team as it is not about me, it is about the team.”

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Of his new partner up front, he adds: “I like playing with Conor, we both try to work our socks off. It’s working well playing together. I just think we know our roles in the team and it works well.”

Regarding a return of just one League Cup goal in 16 appearances before his recent strikes, he continued: “That’s football. If I don’t score and that’s what I’m there to do, then I am going to get criticised, which is fine by me.

“I’m big enough to stand up to that and show the fans what I can do, given the right opportunity. Of course it affected me. When you are missing, missing, missing it’s going to affect you no matter who you are.

“But I got my head down and dug in and we have a great group of boys here. If anything, we had a bit of banter about it which has helped me and the team as well. You crack on and you get opportunities and, fortunately for me, the ball has hit the back of the net a couple of times in the last three games.”

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Derby and Wolves follow tomorrow night’s encounter and Derbyshire believes games against the division’s bigger clubs are ones that the Millers relish.

“We are always looking upwards, always, because we are not a negative team. The football we play as well is positive and it is working for us.

“There are 18 games to go and it’s a long way and we will battle in every single one of them and I’m positive we will be fine.

“Everyone performs better in the bigger games don’t they? You work that little bit extra although it shouldn’t be that way. But in football that happens. In tougher games, the more you do.”

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The Millers certainly deserved Saturday’s win against a faltering Ipswich side, who slipped to fifth and ruined manager Mick McCarthy’s 56th birthday celebrations.

They could have struck inside a minute but Adam Collin somehow managed to sit on Daryl Murphy’s shot and, after a lengthy stand-off between the sides, Derbyshire struck the first blow.

He won a free-kick off Christophe Berra out on the left, Ben Pringle swung the ball over and Craig Morgan headed back across the six-yard area where Derbyshire’s stooping header made it 1-0 in the 39th minute.

Ipswich made a double substitution in the 52nd minute with new signing Freddie Sears replacing Jay Tabb and Teddy Bishop coming on for Paul Anderson.

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Pressure built on the Millers and Collin did well to tip over a flick header from Luke Chambers from a free-kick before left-back Zeki Fryers headed off the line from Tommy Smith’s header from a corner.

The Millers hit back and made it 2-0 in the 64th minute from the second of successive corners from Pringle. Bodies went flying before the deep cross landed for Conor Newton to lay the ball into the path of Sammon, who drove the ball home.

Ipswich had little answer after that and substitute Jordan Bowery should have made it 3-0 in stoppage time when he raced through the middle only to be denied by Bartosz Bialkowski.

Rotherham United: Collin, Richardson, Morgan, Arnason, Fryers; Newton (Hammill 89), Green, Smallwood, Pringle; Sammon (Ward 75), Derbyshire (Bowery 85). Unused substitutes: Thompson, Broadfoot, Frecklington, Milsom.

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Ipswich Town: Bialkowski, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Mings; Anderson (Bishop 52), Bru, Skuse, Tabb (Sears 52); McGoldrick (N Hunt 75), Murphy. Unused substitutes: Kenny, Parr, S Hunt, Clarke.

Referee: G Ward (Surrey).