Derby Defeated By Super Suffo!

By CCFC Sid
October 26 2003

CCFC's first away victory against Derby in over 20 years was partly down to a fine CCFC display, and a lot down to to dire Derby defending! Nice to see CCFC receiving gifts rather than giving them for once....

CCFC started this match in lively fashion, and were unlucky not to take the lead after five minutes, when a Barrett cross saw Warnock go close for CCFC after.

Warnock did score his first CCFC goal after 10 minutes when Derby defenders Walton and Jackson made a complete hash of clearing a Whing cross, with Warnock's emphatic finish justifying stand-in boss boss Gary Mills, standing in for stand-in boss Eric Black(!), decision to play him in midfield.

Doyle missed the chance to make the score 2-0 to CCFC after 19 minutes, and a minute later this could have proved costly as Dichio actually put the ball in the net for Derby. Thankfully for CCFC, the referee gave a fairly close looking decision in their favour.

Konjic and Shaw were booked soon after, with the Bosnian's booking either being for `an assault' if you believe the Derby version of events, or a `clumsy challenge' if you believe the CCFC version! (The latter, rather obviously, being the correct version!).

Suffo doubled CCFC's lead after 37 minutes following another Derby defensive mix-up (With Jackson supplying said player with the ball to score a fairly simple goal), and CCFC's second away victory of the season looked on the cards. The former Cameroon international even managed to avoid the supposed compulsory booking for his `shirt off' goal celebration....

Derby made a couple of substitutions at half-time (While, for CCFC, Gary McAllister left his seat in the stands to come down to the touch-line), and eight minutes into the second half 16 year old Lee Holmes grabbed his first goal for The Rams.

Suffo lost possession of the ball in midfield, and Richard Shaw failed to retrieve it with a sliding tackle on Lee Morris right on the half-way line. Morris strode forward virtually unopposed, passed to Holmes, who, despite Morris calling for the ball back, opted to blast a shot past Arpexhead in the CCFC goal.

At this point, thoughts among a lot of CCFC supporters was immediately that they would probably go onto lose - thankfully they were wrong!

Derby played with three strikers up front in a bid to pull back the all important equalising goal, but it was CCFC who continued to create chances, with a Safri shot being cleared for a corner, Konjic heading the resulting corner just wide, and the referee ignoring CCFC appeals for a penalty after Morrell was fouled in the area.

Staunton had quite clearly picked up an injury (Though this was reported on the Derby website as `Staunton was feeling the pace....'!!), and was replaced by Mansouri after 78 minutes, and, seconds later, Suffo ended the match as a contest, when, after latching onto a long-ball, he shook off the challenge of Johnson, tracked along the by-line, then beat Grant in the Derby goal with a cracking shot from a very tight angle.

Adebola replaced Morrell after 82 minutes, and Pead replaced Safri on 88 minutes, as CCFC held on for a well deserved victory.

Sadly for Derby, if this performance is anything to go by (And, if their Message Boards are to be believed, it is!), they will struggle to stay in D1 this season....