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The Relegation Watch

Here is a “minute by minute” guide to the third and final relegation place. Will Derby do the impossible? While Sunderland’s brilliant stadium be half full in the First Division? Or will Fulham go straight down after being promoted last season. Let’s find out, shall we......

9 mins: Goal for Sunderland!! 1-0 Riccy Scimeca’s cushioned header found Lillian Laslandes, the French International, and the player turned towards goal. A cross was deflected by Charlton defender Dominic Matteo, but it fell perfectly for dangerous striker Kevin Phillips. Although the player’s effort was saved, Julio Arca followed up, and rammed the ball into the back of the net.

(Sunderland will stay up, as will Derby, Fulham will go down)

21 mins: Goal for Fulham!! 1-0 A free-kick was won on the edge of the area by Steve Marlet, which John Collins went to take. The Scottish midfielder used his left foot effectively as the set-piece flew straight to the head of Louis Saha, who nodded home.

(Fulham will narrowly go down, Sunderland and Derby are still up)

29 mins: Goal for Chelsea!! 1-0 Marcel Desailly, a world cup winner, picked up the ball after a poor “attempt” at a Derby attack, and quickly laid the ball off to Di Matteo. The midfielder hit a brilliant thirty-yard ball up to fellow country-man Gianfranco Zola, and the small bright-spark lofted the ball over the despairing Russel Howarth.

(Derby are now down, Sunderland and Fulham will stay up)

37 mins: Goal for Sunderland!! 2-0 Julio Arca threw the ball back into play from a throw in, and Medina picked up, playing the ball back to the Left Back. The cross came in, and was cleared by Young. The header went as far as Medina, who chipped the ball back in, and there was Lillian Laslandes, who knocked in his eighth goal of the season.

(The positions are still the same, Derby will go down)

40 mins: Goal for Charlton!! 2-1 Fish collected the ball in defence, but was quickly closed down by Prutton, who slid in to challenge. The ball richoceted to Parker, who took control of the loose ball. He searched out Robinson, and the winger found Bartlett in the air, and the South African headed the ball into the back of the net.

(Again, no change in the positional sense, Derby look out of it at the current stage.)

41 mins: Goal for Charlton!! 2-2 Straight from the kick off, John Robinson picked up the ball, and ran at the Sunderland defence. He went by the challenge of Makin, before he jinked past the challenge of David Prutton. One-on-one with the ‘keeper, he slotted it beyond Thomas Sorenson.

(Sunderland are now down, Fulham and Derby will be delighted)

48 mins: Goal for Middlesbrough!! 1-1 Dean Windass took the ball forwards, and then chipped the ball forward towards Alen Boksic. The Croatian squared the ball to Hamilton Ricard, who was tackled by Alain Goma. He quickly scooped the ball up again, and squared towards Paul Ince. This time, the midfielder didn’t waste the opportunity, placing the ball beyond Edwin Van Der Sar.

(Fulham are down, Sunderland and Derby stay up)

55 mins: Goal for Middlesbrough!! 1-2 Festa, the Italian defender, won posession before turning it down the left wing for Pead. The winger delivered the ball to the near post in the direction of Mark Hudson, who knocked the ball down to Hamilton Ricard. Superb control by Ricard, and a neat bit of skill to bypass Boa Morte gave the striker the chance, and he drilled the ball into the back of the net.

(Fulham are down and out, while Sunderland and Derby battle on)

86 mins: Goal for Fulham!! 2-2 Luis Boa Morte took the ball over the halfway line, tracked by Festa. He played the ball past the defender, and then decided to continue with the run. Still on the ball, he reached the by-line, and crossed towards Luis Saha. The striker nodded the ball home for the second time of the match.

(The final whistle sounds around the three grounds, as Fulham fans leave Craven Cottages quietly, while Pride Park erupts despite defeat, and the Stadium of Light quickly lights up with a Fireworks display...)

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The Daily Mail

“We did it!” says former Derby manager

Euan Alexander, now a former Derby manager, spoke of his delight after leading his side out of relegation trouble. The Rams are now the first team in the history of the Premiership to survive after being bottom on the twenty-fifth of December.

“ We looked down and out at that point, but I came in, and I think, without trying to sound too full of myself, I did a fine job at the club. I hope they pick the right man for the job as I don’t want to see my, the clubs backroom staff and the players hard work count for nothing.

“ They are a great club, and I love the support the fans give the team. The debt has been wiped, and now, Derby should be looking to continue life as a mid-table club, or even higher up, rather than relegation fodder... as the team proved when I was there, they certainly have the talent!”

Despite leaving just two days after keeping his side up, the manager doesn’t have a single problem with any of the board members at Derby. Infact, he praised the Chairman, Lionel Pickering. “ Well, he obviously gave me my big break in the managerial side of things.

“ I think he was a great chairman who gave me backing right until the end. He didn’t make a decision that I was going to leave the club, I simply signed a contract until then, and we came to an agreement that was better for me and the club if I left.”

Derby came really close to relegation. In the final game of the season, Euan was fully wired up to the Fulham game, while his assistant manager, and friend, Billy McEwan, was wired up to listen to the Sunderland game.

As he explained, for the eleven minutes in which Derby were down for, there was alot of panick around the technical area. McEwan said: “ I was listening to the Sunderland game, and he was listening to the Fulham match, and then when Zola scored, we knew that we were down at that moment in time.

“ There was alot of panic, but thankfully for both our sakes, other results went our way, and we could afford that loss against Chelsea. It was such a bad season, which turned out to be such a good one!”

Finally, Alexander admitted he’d like to work for another club in the near future. “ I’m going to apply for all the jobs I’m interested in, and hopefully one of them will come with a “yes” answer. I can’t wait to work at another club.”

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The end of the Derby era... but will the same man return for another adventure? Who knows!