All over

Another home defeat and this time it proved one too many for Paul Jewell as the news came that he had resigned in the wake of the Pride Park reverse to Ipswich Town. It had been a frustrating afternoon all round with Derby not able to put together moves of any real quality and their opponents not much better but another defensive lapse cost them dear as Walters scored the only goal of the game for the visitors to give them a hardly deserved three points. Chants of Jewell out near the end of the match were booed by other sections of the Derby crowd as opinion still seemed split on the merits of the Liverpudlian taking charge of The Rams but in light of his failure to appear for the post match press conference and subsequent resignation it became obvious Jewell no longer believed he could turn things round at Pride Park.

Nacer Barazite came into the starting line-up in place of Gary Teale for the only change from the side that went down to Preston at Deepdale on Boxing Day and Przemyslaw Kazmierczak and Darren Powell returned to the bench. Kris Commons had an early chance with a free kick after a foul on Paul Green but his low effort was wide of the post and Derby were forced into their first change of the match on only seven minutes when Nathan Ellington pulled up with what looked like a hamstring problem to be replaced by Luke Varney.

Ipswich knocked the ball round well without looking dangerous and it was from nowhere that they took the lead on 13 minutes, Thatcher hit a high cross from the left and Jon Walters managed to get in between Tomkins and Bywater to get the slightest touch with his head and watch the ball bounce in off the far post with the Derby defence seemingly waiting for each other to clear.

Commons broke down the left and bundled his way past two defenders before cutting the ball back and Addison took a touch before firing in a volley that went narrowly wide but The Rams could have been further behind when Kevin Lisbie broke the offside trap but couldn`t force his shot past Bywater who saved well with his feet. Derby then went up the other end of the pitch and, after Commons and Stewart combined, a whipped cross was headed out from under the cross bar by Thatcher. A Commons free kick caused a scramble in the Ipswich area but Varney, Addison and Barazite could not force the ball in after some heroic blocks in the box.

Jordan Stewart took aim from 35 yards but his effort went wide and Richard Wright was called into action when Barazite fired in a low effort but in truth it didn`t trouble the former Arsenal man and Commons wasted the last chance of note in the half when he couldn`t get his effort on target.

Steve Davies came on at halftime for Rob Hulse and took the striker`s place up front alongside Luke Varney and was soon in the action being flagged for offside just before forcing Wright into a save low down. Lisbie found space in the area at the other end but his shot was deflected away and Davies was presented with a chance from a poor clearance by Campo but his low drive came back off the foot of the post with Wright beaten and Barazite could only hit Campo with the rebound but nothing came of the corner.

The Spaniard then earned himself a booking for taking down Varney outside the area but Davies could only direct his free kick straight at Wright as The Ram`s searched for the equaliser. Derby were well on top but Shumulikoski had a powerful effort deflected over when he found space in the box following a Miller free kick. Kazmierczak was brought on for the injured Commons on 75 minutes but almost immediately Derby were down to ten men when Jordan Stewart was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Norris, the decision looked a little harsh as there didn`t seem to be any intent but his side were left a man short.

Ipswich kept hold of possession well against the ten men and looked to run the clock out, Derby applied the pressure and caused a few moments of concern themselves going forward but could not find the breakthrough as the year ended on a losing note for The Rams.

Steve Davies
Looked lively when he came on at halftime and added some urgency up front, unlucky to see his shot strike the foot of the post and another couple of efforts well saved by Wright.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . So that's it then, all over for Jewell. Adam Pearson has come out and said that he appointed Jewell to early and that there was a hangover from last season but things have been going down hill over the last few weeks. Whilst it hadn't got bad enough to show him the door the fact that Jewell did not think he could turn things around and wanted to walk away clearly indicates things had gone to far. Who's next in the door then?

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