Wayne Rooney explains recent trend at Derby County

Louie Sibley scored a crucial late goal in Derby County’s battle against the drop on Saturday to take all three points against Peterborough United.

The 20-year-old’s speculative effort nestled inside Steven Benda’s bottom left corner to spark scenes of jubilation at Pride Park.

The victory saw the Rams rise to 22nd place and keep pace with Reading just above the dotted line, of who earned a surprise 3-2 win at Preston North End.

Curtis Davies, Krystian Bielik and now Sibley have all scored very memorable late goals recently and Rooney explained why Derby are so dangerous late on when he spoke to The Athletic.

He said: “We just keep working and believing.

“We have to be patient; we might win the game in the last minute.

“We have to stay patient, and one of the subs will come on and win the game for us.”

With 14 games remaining the greatest of all escapes from relegation is still on and the belief will be greater than ever after Sibley’s late strike.

It has been a difficult season for the promising youngster who has been largely utilised as an impact substitute, the England U20 international will be hoping that his match-winning impact increases his standing with Rooney to see him earn further minutes in the coming months.

The Verdict

It was crucial for the Rams to stay with Reading at the weekend, after a turbulent weekend of action with the Royals, the gap between them and Derby stands at five points.

The Rams host Millwall on Tuesday evening, where Reading welcome Birmingham City, as Rooney’s men continue to defy the odds.

It speaks volumes to the spirit that Rooney has instilled within the squad that they have been able to score so many late goals and demonstrate their never say die attitude on the pitch.

Time will