Ice-cool Duke caps night of drama with penalty that proves taste for Carling

NATHAN Ellington, nicknamed the Duke, can now be known as "Mr Cool' after keeping his nerve to put Derby County into the semi-finals of the Carling Cup for the first time in 40 years.

Ellington nonchalantly rolled home a penalty in the third minute of stoppage time to give the Rams a 1-0 victory over Premier League Stoke City at the Britannia Sadium.

Paul Jewell's team are now a two-leg semi-final away from the final – unthinkable in the first month of the season when they could not buy a win and lost at home to Doncaster Rovers and Southampton.

They were booed off after those League defeats.

Last night, they were cheered off the pitch as heroes by almost 5,000 Rams fans who gave the side wonderful support and are now dreaming of Wembley.

When the winning goal came it could not have been more dramatic.

Extra time beckoned when Derby caught Stoke napping at a corner. Substitute Gary Teale took it short, Przemyslaw Kazmierczak's attempted cross struck former Rams player Andy Griffin on the arm he raised and referee Rob Styles pointed to the spot.

Ellington, whose late equaliser in the first round tie against Lincoln City kept Derby in the competition, stepped forward and, in front of the Rams fans, sent Steve Simonsen the wrong way.

His sixth cup goal was greeted with a roar that almost lifted the roof off the away end.

This was repeated moments later when the final whistle blew and the clock had been turned back to 1968, the one previous occasion the club had reached the last four.

And Derby deserved their victory.

Yes, Stoke offered their usual threat from set-pieces. Ricardo Fuller squandered chances and Roy Carroll denied them at times.

But Derby hit the woodwork twice in the second half.

They also showed tremendous resilience, something that has been missing in three consecutive away defeats in the Championship when an inability to do the 'ugly' things – the closing down, the heading, tackling and blocking – cost them.

But those qualities returned against opponents who have bullied top-flight opposition this season.

Although it was a night to praise the team and not single out individuals, centre-backs Darren Powell and James Tomkins deserve a special mention.

Powell was immense and Tomkins impressive. Miles Addison also produced a strong display in midfield.

The trio played a huge part in dealing with the many balls that came into Derby's penalty area during the game.

Stoke made five changes to the team held by Hull City at the weekend but the two danger men singled out beforehand, Fuller and Rory Delap, started.

Jewell reckons Fuller would be playing for one of the big guns if his career had not been blighted by a knee injury and Delap's long throw has caught out a host of big-name defenders and teams in the Premier League this season.

Delap played more than 100 games for the Rams but the midfielder's throw, such an effective weapon for Stoke, was kept as something of a hidden secret at Pride Park.

Another former Rams player featured in the home side, Danny Higginbotham, and Andrew Davies, who spent a loan spell during Phil Brown's time in charge, was on the bench, as was left-back Carl Dickinson, released by Derby at the age of 15.

Derby were again without three of their central defenders through injury – Martin Albrechtsen, Dean Leacock and Claude Davis – and so Powell and on-loan youngster Tomkins formed the centre-back pairing as they did in Saturday's defeat at Burnley.

The only change to the side comprehensively beaten at Turf Moor in a best-forgotten performance saw Ellington come in up front for the cup-tied Luke Varney.

Derby were relatively untroubled in the opening 20 minutes and dealt with three of Delap's feared throws.

Addison headed the first away, Powell cleared the second and goalkeeper Roy Carroll came to collect the third.

Delap kept hurling the ball in as the first half progressed but Addison and Powell stationed themselves around the near post and stood firm.

Throw number four from Delap led to a corner that was headed over by Leon Cort and throw number seven was turned behind by Tomkins. Glenn Whelan's first corner was headed behind for another and when the second was scrambled to the edge of the area, Delap blasted his shot high over. His shooting was not as accurate as his throws.

Richard Cresswell found the net but the whistle had already gone for handball – a decision that annoyed Stoke boss Tony Pulis – and Derby kept plugging away.

They have a couple of players who can throw the ball some distance, one being Paul Connolly, and there was almost an ironic twist two minutes before the break when one of his efforts was only cleared to Kazmierczak, whose half-volley whistled over.

Addison had earlier sent a volley from distance straight at Simonsen and the Rams had every reason to be content with their first-half work.

"We are Premier League" chanted the home fans but the quality of some of their football was far from what you would expect from a top-flight side in a dour opening 45 minutes, although they remained a constant threat from set-pieces.

With snow falling, Derby were inches away from making a dream start to the second half.

Ellington whipped in a cross and Commons, not noted for his heading ability, dived in and sent the ball crashing against the bar. The rebound fell quickly to Rob Hulse, who could not direct his header on target.

Stung by the left-off, Stoke responded.

Mamady Sidibe released Fuller and the Jamaican international looked set to put the home side ahead but hesitated. Stewart spotted his moment and produced a marvellous recovery tackle to deny the big striker.

Fuller wasted another chance when he headed well wide from 10 yards and suddenly both sides seemed to sense the game was there for the taking.

Commons – his every touch booed being an ex-Stoke player – saw a low shot deflected narrowly over. Hulse's drive from an angle was gathered by Simonsen and then Addison met Kazmierczak's corner on the stretch. The ball looped across a stranded Simonsen and clipped the foot of a post.

At the other end, Carroll pulled off two fine saves in the space of a few minutes.

The Rams keeper dived to his right to palm away Cresswell's header and then he tipped over Whelan's free kick.

Extra time beckoned but the late penalty sent the thousands of Derby fans back down the A50 delighted.

Derby have endured their share of cup misery in recent times but this was a magical moment to cherish.