Full-time: Derby County thrash Tranmere Rovers 5-0 in FA Cup
DERBY County eased into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 5-0 victory over League One leaders Tranmere Rovers at Pride Park Stadium.
Ben Davies broke the deadlock just before the interval and the Rams took control with second-half strikes from Conor Sammon, John Brayford, Jeff Hendrick and 16-year-old substitute Mason Bennett, who netted his first senior goal to become the club's youngest ever scorer.
Gareth Roberts returned to the Derby side to face his former club.
The 34-year-old defender missed the 3-1 victory over Middlesbrough on New Year's Day due to a calf injury but was passed fit to replace Kieron Freeman at left-back in the only change to Nigel Clough's starting line-up.
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Midfielder Craig Bryson (knee) and Jamie Ward (hamstring) remained sidelined.
Derby had a couple of early scares.
In the fourth minute, defender Ash Taylor headed wide from an inswinging corner.
And six minutes later, midfielder Max Power harried Davies off the ball and, spotting Adam Legzdins out of position, shot from 20 yards, but the keeper got across to make the save.
Brayford glanced a header wide from Davies' corner after 26 minutes.
And the hosts had a chance to test keeper Owain Fon Williams soon after when he inadvertently picked up a backpass from Donervorn Daniels in his area but the defensive wall blocked Michael Jacobs' strike.
The Rams went ahead shortly before the interval.
Paul Coutts' shot from the edge of the box squirmed under the body of Fon Williams and the ball rolled towards the goal.
Davies won the race with Taylor to get there first and prodded home from a couple of yards out.
Derby's second goal arrived less than 10 minutes into the second half.
Davies' free kick from the right was attacked by Richard Keogh and the ball bobbled around in the box until it reached Sammon, whose shot on the turn went in via a deflection.
Moments later at the other end, Cole Stockton cut in from the left before blasting narrowly over from a tight angle.
Jacobs tested Fon Williams with a dipping 25-yarder which the keeper turned around the post.
Brayford attempted to get on the end of Davies' resulting corner, only to end up on the floor.
However, after a bit a pinball in the area, the defender was able to hook a shot past Fon Williams from six yards, from a sitting position.
It was 4-0 after 72 minutes, when Hendrick controlled Davies' ball in with his left foot and finished clinically with his right foot, low into the corner of the net from 18 yards.
Tranmere might have pulled one back with 15 minutes to go when Adam McGurk's corner found Zoumana Bakayogo unmarked in the middle but the defender blazed a volley way over the bar.
Derby got a fifth goal in the 87th minute when Conor Doyle set up fellow substitute Bennett, whose crisp low drive from the edge of the box went in, despite a touch from Fon Williams.
GOALS: Davies (43) 1-0; Sammon (54) 2-0; Brayford (63) 3-0; Hendrick (72) 4-0; Bennett (87) 5-0.
DERBY COUNTY: Legzdins, Brayford, Keogh, O'Brien, Roberts (Freeman, 74), Coutts (Doyle, 79), Hughes, Hendrick, Davies (Bennett, 85), Jacobs, Sammon. Other subs: Fielding (gk), O'Connor, T Robinson, Tyson.
TRANMERE ROVERS: Fon Williams, Holmes, Daniels, Taylor, Bakayogo, McGurk, Palmer, Power, A Robinson (Black, 73), Stockton, O'Halloran. Other subs: Mooney (gk), Goodison, Thompson, Harrison, Kirby, Kay.
REFEREE: M Halsey (Lancashire).
ATTENDANCE: 11,740.
Comments
by derwentx
Monday, January 07 2013, 8:51PM
“Quote: 'why didn't a few of them pop by Pride Park when there was a half-price deal?'
Maybe because we were playing Tranmere Rovers in the 3rd round of the FA cup a couple of weeks after Christmas?
I went in a pub tonight in Towcester, it was empty. I asked the landlord why no one was in, he replied 'people are broke after Christmas'.
Think about it.”
by mickstu
Monday, January 07 2013, 2:05PM
“by ramATREE
Monday, January 07 2013, 1:03PM
."Going in the right direction at last as are florist ,people are stopping away because of the prices times are hard,Xmas and sales,plus previous results
I can take the hard times, xmas and sales but £10-£12 per ticket depending on when it was bought and previous HOME results when they have only lost 2 at home this season and played some smashing football - I think not”
by mickstu
Monday, January 07 2013, 2:01PM
“by ramATREE
Monday, January 07 2013, 1:03PM
."Going in the right direction at last as are florist ,people are stopping away because of the prices times are hard,Xmas and sales,plus previous results
I can take the hard times, xmas and sales but £12 a ticket and lost just 2 at home with some great performances - dont think it is home results and prices for this one!!”
by JohnZFish
Monday, January 07 2013, 1:20PM
“£12 a ticket, the pubs were free of the once a year brigade & almost a carriage to myself on the way back to London on Sunday -personally I love January. Good performance great fun, last 2 goals were the best.”
by PeteDerby1
Monday, January 07 2013, 1:05PM
“Very good point, Mickstu. If 8,000 are staying away because of cost as GSE apologists claim, why didn't a few of them pop by Pride Park when there was a half-price deal?”
by ramATREE
Monday, January 07 2013, 1:03PM
“Going in the right direction at last as are florist ,people are stopping away because of the prices times are hard,Xmas and sales,plus previous results buts lets hope they keep going now and don't get nervous if they get to sixth like last time .come on you raaaaaaaaaams!”
by mickstu
Monday, January 07 2013, 10:56AM
“by Peeps
Sunday, January 6 2013, 1:17AM
."Fans are staying away because of costs etc not down to the guff on here by the people who think dcfc are listening to ..."
they stayed away when it was only £12 on Saturday so there must be other reasons”
by mickstu
Monday, January 07 2013, 10:54AM
“I was so upset leaving Pride Park having only won 5-0 against a team that was only about 12 places below us in the leagues list and was onle of the leading teams with clean sheets. Then I heard the result from the City Ground and was more upset, then I heard that Florests captain had been sent off and I assume that he will now miss the match later in the month. If I was to tell you how up set I realy was none of you would believe me!!!!!!
Seriously a very good result obtained by TEAMWORK. I have enjoyed most of the home performances (even Hull which we somehow lost) , we have played good football, made the most of our cahnces, had some luck but you deserve that then playing well.
To all the wrist slashers who like to comment but don't come - treat yourself to a ticket and come an have a look at this years Rams - I am sure that you will enjoy it and think it was money well spent.
Well done to Clogh in getting such a mix of ages in the team where the older players appear to be helping the youngsters and bringing them on a teart and also well done to Mason Bennett - lets hope that was the first of many - it was so good to finish the match off with that one - sent us all home with a stupin grin on our faces!”
by DBRAM
Sunday, January 06 2013, 10:13PM
“Congrats to young Bennett, first of many I'm sure, another of our talented young players to bring back success to a great club. Have Blackburn at home next round, not easy but certainly not hard. Roll on Saturday-COYR!!!!”
by staffsram
Sunday, January 06 2013, 5:28PM
“The only problem with offloading Tyson & Theo is it would leave us too short up front should we get a couple of injuries, even if we did get a replacement such as Pope (a good call by the way). I have a feeling we're not going to get many more starts from Jamie Ward this season and great though it was for Mason to get his first goal yesterday, he's not yet ready for the rigours of holding a regular spot in the Championship.”