Miller fires Derby to first win

Kenny Miller's superb first-half goal gave Derby their first game of the season to enable Billy Davies' side to climb off the bottom of the table.

Miller hit a spectacular shot from well outside the box after Newcastle failed to clear Stephen Bywater's clearance.

Newcastle might have had two penalties as Dean Leacock twice appeared looked to have fouled David Rozehnal.

But Derby were worth their win and Steve Howard should have extended their lead with a couple of headers.

Having lost four successive league games, the last of which saw them beaten 6-0 at Liverpool, Derby entered this game propping up the bottom of the Premier League.

But roared on by a vocal Pride Park crowd Derby produced a gritty performance, though they were were initially let down by a tentative approach inside the Newcastle penalty area.

Both Tyrone Mears and Miller showed plenty of initiative to create space for themselves but were unable to seriously test Steve Harper with their final shots.

If Miller might have suffered stage fright in the Newcastle box he showed a more deadly streak when the ball landed at his feet outside the penalty area..

Newcastle failed to deal with Bywater's punt upfield and after allowing the ball to bounce Miller's spectacular dipping shot was soon nestling in the Newcastle net.

By that stage Newcastle should have been ahead, notably when James Milner broke free after a Derby corner on 18 minutes.

On the edge of the penalty area Milner released Owen, who rounded Bywater, but in doing so the England striker had to take the ball away from the goal.

Owen regained his balance to cross the ball to Rozehnal, whose close-range shot went wide.

There were other nervy moments for the Derby defence and they might have conceded a penalty when Leacock looked to have clearly held Rozehnal.

Gallingly for Newcastle, Miller's goal came immediately after that incident.

Midway through the second half Leacock looked to have fouled Rozenhal for a second time, but again the infringement was missed by referee Peter Walton.

Newcastle's inability to regularly test Bywater saw Owen surprisingly withdrawn early in the second half, with Obafemi Martins coming on for the England striker.

But the change failed to resuscitate a strangely subdued Newcastle side and Derby remained were the more dangerous team in attack, though Steven Howard missed badly with a couple of headers.

Derby: Bywater, Mears, Leacock, Davis, Griffin, Teale, Oakley, Pearson, Lewis (McEveley 87), Howard, Miller (Feilhaber 80).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Earnshaw, Todd.

Booked: Mears, Oakley.

Goals: Miller 39.

Newcastle: Harper, Taylor (Beye 75), Cacapa, Rozehnal, N'Zogbia, Smith, Geremi (Faye 60), Butt, Milner, Owen (Martins 55), Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Given, Pattison.

Booked: Smith, Butt, N'Zogbia.

Att: 33,016.

Ref: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).

Source: BBC Sport