Max Bird remains on loan at Derby after being sold to Bristol City in January
Derby County secured promotion to the Championship with a confident and brilliant win on the final day against already relegated Carlisle United at a jubilant Pride Park.
Derby needed just a draw against the bottom club to end their two-year stay in League One and Max Bird's fierce, swerving shot from outside the penalty area had the Rams fans singing the cheerful song of “We're going up” after just a few minutes and hop for five minutes.
James Collins put Paul Warne's Rams over the line with a confident finish from close range after the hour and completed the victory.
It is the fourth time that 50-year-old Warne has led a team to promotion from League One. His three previous successes came with Rotherham as they moved back and forth between the second and third divisions.
However, this promotion is only Derby's second in 26 years and takes them back into the Championship, from which they exited during their tenure in 2022.
Eiran Cashin and Louie Sibley were the only two Derby players to start in the promotion win and also featured when their relegation to League One was confirmed at the same ground two years earlier.
Rams fans stood during the game and gave a minute of applause for owner David Clowes, whose takeover had saved the club from ruin two years earlier.
The on-field invasion during regular time was an emotional relief for much of the sell-out crowd of 31,027, as it ended a spell in League One that had highlighted how far the club had fallen due to financial failures.
Carlisle manager Paul Simpson was Derby's winger when the Rams last gained automatic promotion in 1996.
Despite his strong connection to Derby – which included a spell as assistant coach when they narrowly won Premier League promotion in 2014 – the 57-year-old said his under-appreciated side were only keen on “the party to spoil”. “.
And with two of Carlisle's seven league wins this season coming to teams in the top six – including a 3-1 win at the Rams' nearest rivals Bolton in October – it could be harder to secure a point that will secure promotion or better secured than just playing against the bottom team in the league, who returned to the second division after 16 defeats in 21 games since the turn of the year.
Bird, a Derby academy graduate who remains part of the promotion attack after being sold to Bristol City on loan in January, exchanged passes with Kane Wilson before beating goalkeeper Harry Lewis at the near post with an impressive shot that made it worth it was to contribute to the achievement of a high-stakes, high-profile decision-maker.
Carlisle were the better of the two teams after scoring for most of the first half, but it was Ebou Adams for the Rams who had a second goal ruled out for offside after he acrobatically lunged at a block from the goal line by Louie Sibley failed.
Collins eventually doubled the Rams' lead by converting a header from Sonny Bradley in the penalty area following a deep free-kick from goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith in Derby's own half.
The excellent Nathaniel Mendez-Laing – whose creativity and club record 16 assists this season have been crucial for Derby throughout the season – almost scored a third soon after, but Lewis recovered after storming off his line to block the winger's shot.
Rams return to the championship reborn
Derby teetered on the brink of obscurity when they were relegated from the Championship in 2022 during their reign.
They rebuilt in the first division – but it was never easy.
When they were relegated to the third division for the first time in 36 years, they were considered favorites for direct promotion, even when they were still in administration and only had five experienced players on their account.
David Clowes' takeover in July 2022 saved the Rams four weeks before the start of the 2022/23 season, and they quickly assembled an experienced squad under interim boss Liam Rosenior.
Within three months, the then rookie boss was sacked in favor of one man, Paul Warne Clowes was once dubbed the “King of League One”. – Rosenior has been promoted to the Championship and led Hull City into the hunt for a play-off place this season.
But for the first time, ex-Rotherham coach Warne failed to get the team he managed promoted to the Championship.
They even didn't make the playoffs last season, making the Rams' rebirth a failure.
A slow start to the season followed and it was only in the last week of November – 17 games into the season – that Derby made their way into the play-off places for the first time.
During this time, a section of fans called for Warne's departure and captain Conor Hourihane confronted the dissenting fans after a particularly humiliating defeat at Shrewsbury.
A burst of form between late October and mid-February, which saw the Rams win 14 of their 19 league games, took them to second place and thus into the automatic promotion places.
And there they are, clinging on to secure their Championship return ahead of Bolton, who were relegated to the play-offs.
Lineups
Derby
formation 3-4-1-2
1Wildsmith
35Nelson5Bradley6Cashin
2Wilson12Blacksmith32Adams17Sibley
8thBird
9Collins11Mendez Laing
- 1Wildsmith
- 35Nelson
- 5BradleyReplaced byBlackett Taylorat 90+1'protocol
- 6Cashin
- 2WilsonReplaced byHourihaneat 72'protocol
- 12Blacksmith
- 32Adams
- 17SibleyReplaced byOlderat 72'protocol
- 8thBirdReplaced byThompsonat 84'protocol
- 9Collins
- 11Mendez LaingReplaced byBarkhuizenat 84'protocol
Substitute
- 4Hourihane
- 7Barkhuizen
- 14Washington
- 16Thompson
- 20Older
- 27Blackett Taylor
- 31Vickers
Carlisle
formation 5-3-2
40Lewis
2Back26Barclay5Lavelle22Mellish3weapons
10McCalmont33Neal21McGeouch
9Kelly35Armstrong
- 40Lewis
- 2Back
- 26Barclay
- 5Lavelle
- 22Mellish
- 3weapons
- 10McCalmont
- 33NealBooked for 41 minutes
- 21McGeouchReplaced bydiamondat 74'protocol
- 9KellyReplaced byGibsonat 70'protocol
- 35Armstrong
Substitute
- 7Gibson
- 13breeze
- 16Harris
- 27diamond
- 32Emmanuel
- 37Dudik
Live text
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Match ends: Derby County 2, Carlisle United 0.
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The second half ends, Derby County 2, Carlisle United 0.
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Delay over. You are ready to move on.
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Substitution Derby County. Corey Blackett-Taylor replaces Sonny Bradley due to injury.
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Game delayed due to injury to Sonny Bradley (Derby County).
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Attempt failed. Alfie McCalmont (Carlisle United) tries with his right foot from outside the box, but the ball misses to the right. Supported by Jon Mellish.
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Substitution Derby County. Tom Barkhuizen replaces Nathaniel Méndez-Laing.
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Substitution Derby County. Liam Thompson replaces Max Bird.
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Attempt failed. Conor Hourihane (Derby County) tries with his left foot from a distance, but the ball misses just to the right.
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Alfie McCalmont (Carlisle United) wins a free kick in the opponent's half.
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Foul by Ebou Adams (Derby County).
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Corner, Carlisle United. Goal conceded by Eiran Cashin.
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Corner, Carlisle United. Goal conceded by Korey Smith.
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Harrison Neal (Carlisle United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Ebou Adams (Derby County).
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Attempt blocked. Jack Diamond (Carlisle United)'s left footed shot from the center of the penalty area is blocked.
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Substitution, Carlisle United. Jack Diamond replaces Dylan McGeouch.
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Substitution Derby County. Callum Elder replaces Louie Sibley.
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Substitution Derby County. Conor Hourihane replaces Kane Wilson.
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Substitution, Carlisle United. Jordan Gibson replaces Georgie Kelly.
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