Our Tom Morris reports from Pride Park
Max Bird’s early wonder strike and James Collin’s second-half goal secured Derby’s automatic promotion from League One back into the Championship in a 2-0 win over Carlisle.
Rams supporters began to congregate behind the advertising boards with less than five minutes of regular time to play as a pitch invasion looked inevitable to celebrate promotion.
“The Rams are going up, ole, ole” rang around Pride Park as the game kicked off with the Derby fans feeling confident of securing promotion on the final day of the season.
An electric start for Derby to match the crowd’s energy saw the first big chance come inside two minutes and it fell for Collins who lashed his effort wide from inside the area.
And had been only three minutes after that when Bird’s shot rocketed into the back of the net from 25 yards to mark his 200th appearance for the club which was met with a verse of “Now you’re gonna believe us, the Rams are going up.”
Nathaniel Mendez-Lang created an opportunity out of nowhere as he chased down Fin Back’s short back pass to Lewis but the Carlisle stopper got there first to clear, which would see the rams into half time, with half the job done.
Similarly to the first half, Collins had a chance from the off as Mendez-Lang crossed to the back post, but the Derby striker missed the ball entirely.
Joe Wildsmith’s long ball was nodded down by Sonny Bradley into the path of Collins who smashed home to double the Rams’ lead.
After 66 minutes, Collins’ press dispossessed the Carlisle defence, and he played through Mendez-Lang who turned his defender, but Lewis got down well and snatched the ball away.
Substitute Connor Hourihane almost killed the game off as a Carlisle clearance fell to him on the volley outside the box, but his low-driven effort whistled past Lewis’ post.
Neither side will be competing in League One next season as Derby go up and Carlisle’s relegation was already confirmed going into this game.
Derby Uni Footy Journos 
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