‘Sloppy’ – Derby manager Wayne Rooney unhappy at manner of Millwall’s goal

Wayne Rooney was frustrated in the manner that Derby County conceded in today’s 1-1 draw at Millwall and labelled it a “sloppy goal”.

Festy Ebosele opened the scoring for the Rams one minute before the break, but the Lions struck back just two minutes later through a Scott Malone strike.

Nathan Byrne was sent off for two bookable offences 26 minutes from time but Millwall could not make the extra man advantage count and stay ninth in the Championship.

Rooney said: “It’s frustrating and disappointing. It’s a sloppy goal as well. The ball bounces in the middle of the pitch and their player brings it down and one pass gets Scott Malone in on goal.

“Kelle [Roos] could do better as well. Scott’s just tried to put his foot through it and they get the goal. To concede not long after you’ve scored and just before half-time was a blow. That’s football, there’s going to be moments in games for us and against us. It’s how we manage those moments.

“Over 90 minutes we’ve probably done enough to win the game. First-half, especially, we were dominating possession but also creating chances.

“Second-half we started a bit slow. Then we get the red card, but the lads showed character. It’s always tough when you go down to 10 men, in terms of do we go to a back five and defend the box? But we knew that Matt Smith would come on at some point.

“A point is never bad away from home, but I felt like we could’ve got three today.

“Second [yellow] one looked like a yellow card. First one, I’m not sure the player jumps over him and the ref was a bit easy to get the yellow card out in the first-half.

“But Nathan knows when you’re on a yellow card, if you go and put a tackle in, you have to win the ball otherwise it will cost you, which it has done today.”