Ravanelli wrecks Rovers

Fabrizio Ravanelli grabs a goal on his Derby debut

Derby County 2-1 Blackburn Rovers

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Fabrizio Ravanelli marked his Derby debut with a superb goal to sink Premiership new-boys Blackburn Rovers at Pride Park.

The Italian - who had scored a hat-trick on his first ever Premiership appearance for Middlesbrough five years ago - again made an immediate mark with his new supporters.

Ravanelli hammered home a free-kick past Brad Friedel on the stroke of half-time after Rovers defender Craig Short had trampled on Derby skipper Craig Burley.

  Match action

1-0 - Ravenelli put Derby ahead

2-0 - Christie adds to lead

2-1 - Blake strikes for Rovers

And the 32-year-old celebrated in the style he made his own on his first stint in English football, with his shirt pulled over his head.

The lead was doubled by Ravanelli's strike partner Malcolm Christie, who received a pass from Burley before sweeping the ball past Friedel on 65 minutes.

Rovers pulled a goal back seven minutes later through Nathan Blake as the substitute drilled past Mart Poom - and it was no less than they deserved.

I always felt that Ravanelli would get goals but I think for Malcolm to get off the mark will be a big boost for him

Derby manager Jim Smith

Blackburn's Keith Gillespie and Damien Duff shone in the early passages as Derby stuttered into gear.

Blackburn came close to the perfect start after just 20 seconds.

But Duff's cross for Gillespie, who headed goalwards from 18 yards, forced a superb save from Mart Poom.

The other Italian striker on show, Blackburn's Corrado Grabbi, was less effective than Ravanelli and as the tempo began to drop Derby steadily gained control of the proceedings.

Ravanelli's opener had been scored against the run of play - and after the break Blackburn continued to press.

We've had the best chances, we've dominated the game and Brad Friedel has only had to do two things - pick the ball out of the back of the net

Blackburn manager Graeme Souness

Gillespie made good progress down the right flank and crossed into the box where he found captain Gary Flitcroft free of markers.

But the former Manchester City man glanced his header well wide across Poom's goal.

Rovers thought they had grabbed a draw in a superb finale after Matt Jansen stabbed home as the game went into five minutes of injury-time.

But to his frustration - and to the anger of the massed ranks of the Rovers following - referee Paul Durkin disallowed the goal after a linesman's flag was waved skywards.

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Derby: Poom, O'Neil, Riggott, Higginbotham, Boertien, Morris, Burley, Powell, Daino, Ravanelli, Christie. Subs: Oakes, Blatsis, Jackson, Kinkladze, Bolder.

Blackburn: Friedel, Curtis, Berg, Short, Bjornebye, Gillespie, Dunn, Flitcroft, Duff, Grabbi, Jansen. Subs: Filan, Taylor, Blake, Bent, Hignett.

Referee: P Durkin (Dorset).