Derby County 2-0 Swansea City: Rooney's Rams claim first home win

Kamil Jozwiak celebrates after scoring his first goal since joining Derby in September

Wayne Rooney's promising start to life in management continued as Derby County toppled high-flying Swansea City to claim a first home win of the season.

The Rams remain in the Championship's bottom three on goal difference despite extending their unbeaten run since Rooney was made interim head coach to six games.

But this was a performance full of promise as Derby outplayed a Swansea side who are usually hard to beat.

Colin Kazim-Richards set the tone for the evening by putting Derby ahead from close range early on and a thumping first Rams goal from Poland international winger Kamil Jozwiak doubled the hosts' lead before half-time.

Swansea improved a little after the break, but never looked like denying Derby a first Pride Park victory since they beat Reading 2-1 on 27 June.

It was second win in the dugout for former England captain Rooney, and will have done his chances of landing the manager's job on a permanent basis no harm.

This was a meeting of the side who began the evening as the meanest defence in the EFL - Swansea - and a Derby team who were the lowest scorers in the Football League's three divisions going into the game.

Yet proof that statistics do not always count for much arrived after barely three minutes as Derby went in front.

The goal was soft from Swansea's point of view, with Graeme Shinnie's underhit free-kick helped into the box by Lee Buchanan.

Wayne Rooney screams instructions at his team

Kazim-Richards reacted fastest, getting between Connor Roberts and Freddie Woodman to poke home his second Derby goal.

The early opener was a sign of things to come, as Swansea laboured in possession and failed to compete with a home side showing far greater energy and purpose.

Derby almost doubled the lead on 20 minutes when Jason Knight's 25-yard drive was pushed onto the post by Swansea goalkeeper Woodman.

A team who had mustered only eight Championship goals all season before this game deservedly got their second of the evening before half-time.

A neat move allowed Knight to send in a deflected cross which dropped to the recalled Martyn Waghorn. His lay-off found Jozwiak, who took one sweet touch to carry him into space before smashing a left-footed shot past the helpless Woodman.

Derby looked nothing like a side who had gone so long without winning on their own patch, while Swansea were unrecognisable from the team which outplayed Cardiff City last Saturday.

Things almost got even worse for the visitors at a corner just before the break, but Kazim-Richards' powerful header cannoned out off the bar.

Swansea tailsman Andre Ayew waits to kick off after Derby's second goal completed a miserable first half for the visitors

Cooper's response was to make three changes and switch formation at half-time, and Swansea did at least compete in the second half.

Yet while Derby had to do some defending, Swansea did not create an opportunity of note as they missed the chance to climb to third in the table.

For Rooney, a fourth successive clean sheet rounded off a fine evening's work.

Derby interim head coach Wayne Rooney:

"It's a fantastic win for us over a very good Swansea team. I am delighted for the lads. They worked really hard today.

"Frist half was very good, we played some good football and maybe we could have scored one or two more. Second half we dug in at times but I felt Swansea didn't really look like scoring.

"We got a little bit nervous, we sat back a bit, but I am delighted we saw the game out and got three points. Tonight was a big game for us. Last season we didn't win against any of the top six.

"Swansea are a very good team who will be fighting for promotion so it's a big win for the lads in terms of confidence as well."

Swansea head coach Steve Cooper:

"We had a really poor start to the game, didn't do anything well starting with the basics and the fundamentals of what makes a good performance.

"In the end we got punished for it and gave ourselves too much to do.

"I don't care about what went on in the past. Okay Saturday was an important day, but they played as well.

"That's not an excuse and if we look for excuses I don't think that's the right mentality.

"We have got to take it on the chin. The players know they fell short, I know they fell short and it ended up being a really disappointing night."

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