Wayne Rooney unable to spark Derby into life in drab draw with Northampton
Do not bet on Wayne Rooney and Derby County reaching the next round of the FA Cup. Their replay against the lowest ranked team left in this competition will be mighty awkward if this breathless draw is anything to go by. Keith Curle’s men, sixth in League Two, gave as good as they got against the Championship side in front of a heaving crowd of nearly 7,800.
The Cobblers, who began their campaign at Chippenham Town in the first round, can still nurture hopes of reaching the last 16 for the first time since 1970. Their progress back then met an unforgettable end, with George Best waltzing through mud and befuddled defenders to score six goals in an 8-2 win for Manchester United. Another former Old Trafford grandee never came close to scoring even one here.
Derby’s manager, Phillip Cocu, made eight changes to the side that began their last Championship game but retained the services of Rooney, who was stationed in central midfield on a mission to control the game. But he might as well have been among the spectators in a hurly-burly first half during which play totally bypassed the 34-year-old. Unsettling the visitors was Northampton’s plan and they applied it with gusto.
A corner by Nicky Adams triggered pandemonium in the Derby box in the fifth minute, with Derby grateful to clear after Turnbull scuffed a volley. Moments later Vadaine Oliver headed wide after beating the goalkeeper to a cross by Adams from open play. But the hosts got lucky in the 13th minute when Charlie Goode pulled down Jack Marriott at the edge of the area as the striker raced through on goal. Amazingly the referee waved play on. “I felt it was just a tangle of legs but I might have got away with one,” Goode ventured later with a straight face. Cocu, meanwhile, claimed that even the fourth official told him Goode had been guilty of a blatant foul. “So at least one [official] had vision,” said the Derby manager. “You don’t need VAR for this. Northampton deserve credit because they played with great passion and the atmosphere was great – but that should have been a red card.”
There was a more uplifting moment in the 19th minute when the stadium’s big screen displayed a photo of Harry Dunn. The crowd stood as one to applaud the memory of the 19-year-old Northampton fan who died in a car crash in August; several hours earlier US authorities had turned down an extradition request for Anna Sacoolas, the woman whom police intended charging with the teenager’s death.
Meanwhile on the pitch Northampton continued to fluster the visitors, Andy Williams firing into the side netting after a good move. That was as close as anyone came in the first half.
Rooney got time on the ball only when standing over set pieces. Curtis Davies headed one of his corners over in the 51st minute. Davies missed with another header six minutes later as Derby began to get the upper hand. But Northampton wrested it back and looked as likely as the team captained by England’s record marksman to nick a late winning goal.
Owls through to fifth round
Sheffield Wednesday matched their best showing in the FA Cup since 1997 after strikes from Morgan Fox and Sam Winnall settled an all-Championship tie at Loftus Road.
The first half was drifting towards an uneventful conclusion until Fox saw his effort squirm just beyond Joe Lumley for the 26-year-old’s third goal of the season. After the break wastefulness from the hosts was punished as Winnall capitalised on slack marking to sweep home before Nakhi Wells made it 2-1 to bring some cheer to the home fans on a cold night in W12.
