Derby 3 Everton 4

Duncan Ferguson scores Evertons 4th goal

Derby County lost this seven goal thriller at Pride Park, and with it a very real chance of staying in the Premiership.

A somewhat tense and slow opening half promised little of the twists and turns of the second half. It was Everton who with their first serious shot at goal of the half in the 40^th minute took the lead. The Everton goal scorer Unsworth.

The half time whistle was greeted with stunned silence from the majority of the seasons biggest crowd of 33,297 but the Rams looked as though they may be able to pull this one round. John Gregory, who was allowed back on to the touchline after his three-match ban, had some serious talking to do in the interval.

The second half began and with only six minutes on the clock, referee Barry awarded what looked a harsh handball decision against the Rams on the edge of their own box. Everton defender Stubbs takes the free kick and rifles an unstoppable shot past Foletti and into the corner of the goal. 2-0 and the mountain the Rams had in front of them begins to get higher.

Everton still press forward looking to seal the game and just four minutes after Stubb's rocket free kick Everton have their third scored by Alexandersson. The Rams season is beginning to unravel before their eyes and the crowd is again stunned into silence.

Branko Strupar scores a brace but still ends up on the losing side

Derby now had no option but to keep pressing forward. Branko Strupar, on as substitute just a minute earlier scores the goal of the game for Derby. A sweetly hit 25yard volley nestled in the back of the Everton net. The crowd react but many fear this is nothing better than a consolation goal.

The Rams to their credit are still in there fighting but a cruel blow is dealt them in the 73^rd minute as Duncan Ferguson scorers a fourth goal for the Toffees.

The Rams still refuse to lie down and reduce the score line to 4-2 after Lee Morris is on hand to scoop the ball into the Everton net. The crowd as well as the players now believe a result may still be taken from this match. The resolve is heightened with just eight minutes left of the match as Branko Strupar continues his superb goals to games ratio for the Rams, scoring his second of the match.

Alas, try as they might the Rams couldn't find the fourth goal and it was Everton who walked away with all three points to stem their immediate relegation worries.

Derby must now regroup for the difficult away tie next week at Stamford Bridge, knowing a defeat there would almost seal their fate as one of the relegated teams for this season.