What I.Saw - "It's A Steal And We Take It"
Tuesday, 3rd Jan 2012 13:51 by I.Saw

No sooner has the second half of this match started than Theo Robinson found himself with the ball at the edge of the Tigers six yard box. He feinted to shoot, fainted again.. and again... “He’s blown it” we inwardly groan.

Then finally a left foot, poked forward, surprised the ball stumbles and bobbles away from the boot, the keeper Adriano Basso expecting something more powerful is crestfallen as the ball nestles in the net.

Less than a minute gone and the Rams on their one attacking move score, it’s a steal and we take it.

Earlier the game at the K.C. Stadium had started with Jamie Ward being upended within seconds of the kick off as Liam Rosenior takes the ball, the man and possibly would have had the biscuit too but that had been grabbed by the referee as he fails to even have a word with Hull’s number two.

As Ward peels himself off the pitch, Mr Gibbs is more concerned with Ward’s ability to pick himself up and take the free kick; you could almost see a yellow for time wasting.

Ward having had the stuffing knocked out of him then proceeds to get Rosenior booked for an innocuous trip, natural justice perhaps but Ward then further ingratiates himself to the locals by going down easily soon after. The boos from that point on are predictable.

As it is the Rams are playing 4-5-1 with Robinson and Ward both wide, it’s a system that creates little, the quality of the passing to Callum Ball is poor and faced with two and sometimes more defenders around him and a lack of support from midfield the youngster struggles to make his mark.

In midfield Craig Bryson and Paul Green are busy yet our inability to keep possession means the Tigers had the better of the first half.

Then out of the blue the Rams score and a brighter spell for Derby ensures with Ward keeping a free kick low and beating the wall only for Basso in goal to hold the shot well as the Rams rushed in.

Ball left for Ben Davies, the cry for a wave from the travelling supporters gladly acknowledged before the player left for the tunnel, with Robinson becoming the sole one upfront.

A change which coincides with the remainder of the match belonging to the Tigers, only sterling and heroic efforts from the whole back line of Brayford, Barker, Shackell and Robert s ably assisted by Fielding gives us any hope.

Gareth Roberts especially just seems to get better and better and this from a player who struggled to get a single tackle in when he first joined our club.

Tamas Priskin eventually replaces Robinson (who leaves to yet another post substitution wave as indeed does Ward later) before Jake Buxton on as the final substitute gives us the “wince” of the match.

Buxton, an extra defender for injury time, does well and brings the ball under control in our own box, he has time, he looks up and still has time, everything is good until Jake proceeds to make a mockery of skill by kicking the ball directly to a Black and Amber shirt on the half way line.

I guess you had to be there.

It mattered not the referee blew and Derby escaped from Hull with three points, the proverbial steal of the century, or at least 2012 to date.