Post-match reaction

One moment of magic from Georgi Kinkladze capped yet another Derby fightback against Leeds.

The Georgian maestro had been only on the pitch two minutes when he produced a wonderful piece of skill to cancel out a similarly impressive strike from Ian Harte.

The goal, a sublime left-foot finish following a trademark twisting run, brought Derby back from the dead again after they had been reduced to ten men for most of the game.

 HoracioCarbonari saw red for the second match in succession for hauling down Michael Bridges, but Jim Smith masterminded another fightback - the Rams have rallied for Pride Park draws four times this season - with a brave tactical switch.

The Bald Eagle threw Kinkladze, Dean Sturridge and Chris Riggott into the fray on 73 minutes and even he must have raised an eyebrow when it paid instant dividends.

The Rams worked the ball down the right and seizing Sturridge's short pass on the corner of the box, Kinkladze jinked past Olivier Dacourt, duped Harte with a cheeky nutmeg and bent a beautiful finish round the helpless Nigel Martyn.

It was the second memorable moment from a game that promised much, but in terms of goals, delivered disappointingly.

Deon Burton and Malcolm Christie, who troubled the Leeds defence throughout the first half, linked well twice in the opening exchanges but the former sent his volley dipping just over while the latter was denied by a sprawling stop from Martyn.

Harte was only to happy to show them the way on 35 minutes after Craig Burley had cut down Eirik Bakke.

The foul took place 35 yards from goal and 10 in from the right touchline, but the Republic of Ireland deadball specialist stepped up undaunted and curled a brilliant effort high into Mart Poom's top right-hand corner.

Derby's world looked to have collapsed completely within a minute Alan Smith forced the Rams into an error, Bridges picked up the ball on the edge of the box only to be caught by Carbonari who was rightly rewarded with an early bath for the second time in four days. The one consolation was that Harte's free-kick was deflected wide.

Michael Duberry became Leeds' latest casualty with an Achilles injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season and as Danny Mills settled in alongside the fit-again Lucas Radebe, Burton almost capitalised only to see Martyn claw his opportunist effort on to the bar.

Leeds also suffered at the hands of the woodwork as Smith slid Lee Bowyer's cross against the foot of the far post with Dominic Matteo inches away from turning in his first goal since joining from Liverpool.

It all added to the desperation around Pride Park and Smith responded with his bold move on 73 minutes.

Two minutes later Kinkladze conjured up something out of nothing and made sure the Rams finished with a deserved point, if not a full compliment.

Derby: Poom, Carbonari, Schnoor, Burley, Burton, Christie (Sturridge 73), Higginbotham, Eranio (Riggott 73), Bragstad (Kinkladze 73), Valakari, Johnson.
Subs Not Used: Jackson, L. Grant
Sent Off: Carbonari (36)
Booked: Eranio, Carbonari, Burton
Goals: Kinkladze 75

Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Harte, Dacourt, Radebe, Bridges, Bowyer, Smith, Bakke (McPhail 88), Duberry (Mills 45), Matteo.
Subs Not Used: Huckerby, Robinson, Jones
Booked: Dacourt, Bowyer
Goals: Harte 34

Att: 26,248
Ref: B Knight (Orpington)

SMITH NOT OVERLY HAPPY DESPITE HEROICS

Derby boss Jim Smith was still a disappointed man despite seeing his side battle back for a point with ten men.

The Bald Eagle saw Horacio Carbonari sent off for the second game in a row and needed a triple substitution to salvage a point.

But he was not the chirpiest character at Pride Park despite yet another comeback from his side.

He said: "Obviously from being 1-0 down with 10 men I'm happy with a point but over the 90 minutes I'm disappointed.

"Their keeper's made three outstanding saves, the lads did very well in the first half and were unfortunate to be 1-0 down.

"They showed tremendous character to keep going and they fully deserved their result."

And Smith paid tribute to Harte for his astonishing free-kick which put the visitors ahead at the interval.

He said: "Their goal was unbelievable. It was obviously a goalscoring chance but how he got it in from there I'll never know."

Smith's opposite number David O'Leary blamed their midweek exertions against AC Milan for the manner in Leeds lost their way.

Given the ideal start by Ian Harte's stunning free-kick, they were pegged back by Georgi Kinkladze and could even have suffered a third 2-1 Premiership defeat in a row.

O'Leary said: "It was a very tired performance. A lot of people were very tired at the end there.

"But that's what the Champions League's about -it takes a lot out of you, and then you've got another game to come on Tuesday.

"We've got to roll our sleeves up and we know we can play better because we showed that against Milan."