Wayne Rooney confident Derby can beat the drop after beating Swansea in the Championship and extending unbeaten run to SIX games since being appointed interim boss
- Derby are level on points with Rotherham and Nottingham Forest above them
- They aren’t clear of danger yet but a 2-0 win over Swansea was a major boost
- Wayne Rooney has led his Derby side to six Championship games unbeaten
- There were also wins for Middlesbrough and Cardiff on Wednesday evening
Wayne Rooney’s Derby revival continued with a 2-0 home victory over Swansea which extended their unbeaten run to six games.
Colin Kazim-Richards fired them into a fourth-minute lead which was doubled by Kamil Jozwiak eight minutes before the break to dent the Swans’ promotion drive.
Derby are still in the bottom three on goal difference but are unbeaten in six since Rooney was made interim manager.
Wayne Rooney has led Derby to six games unbeaten since he took interim charge of the team
And he said: ‘There’s a lot of games left and I’m very confident we will not be there (in the bottom three) at the end of the season.
‘It’s not nice to be down there but we need to get our attention and focus on moving higher up the table because we are better than where we are – I think everyone can see that.
‘In the last month there have been so many positives and I think if we keep putting the work in and showing the moments of quality and class we’ve got, then I’ve no doubt we’ll move out.
Colin Kazim-Richards set Derby on their way to their second win in six league matches
‘It’s a big win for us. Swansea are a very good team so to beat them at home shows where the players are at. They have been getting more confident with each game and tonight was a very good performance.’
Chuba Akpom secured back-to-back wins for 10-man Middlesbrough with the only goal against Luton.
Akpom’s 52nd-minute strike proved to be the winner, although James Collins had a 67th-minute equaliser from the penalty spot chalked off because he touched the ball twice after Sam Morsy had been sent off for handball.
Sean Morrison’s last-gasp header saw Cardiff bounce back from their derby defeat to Swansea to beat Birmingham in a five-goal thriller.
Middlesbrough striker Chuba Akpom is joined by Marcus Tavernier after scoring against Luton
Robert Glatzel had put the home side in front, but Birmingham led 2-1 with 13 minutes remaining thanks to goals from Marc Roberts and Ivan Sanchez before Harry Wilson levelled to set up Morrison’s 89th-minute winner.
Adam Armstrong was Blackburn’s late, late hero as they came from behind to beat Rotherham 2-1 at Ewood Park.
Armstrong scored the decisive goal in the eighth minute of stoppage time, stabbing home from Daniel Ayala’s knock-down after Harvey Elliott’s 80th-minute equaliser had dragged his side back into it.
Michael Smith had given the visitors the lead with 29 minutes remaining, but Rovers mounted a grandstand finish.
Huddersfield responded to their 5-0 weekend drubbing at Bournemouth with a goalless draw at Coventry, who are now unbeaten in eight.