Opta Index
Derby reaction | Leeds reaction

Stephen Turner reporting

England striker Robbie Fowler limped out of a mundane end-of-season encounter at Pride Park, where one moment of quality from Lee Bowyer proved enough to earn Leeds the points.

Fowler may have been hoping to push his claims for a place in Sven Goran Eriksson's starting line-up come June 2 in Saitama, but an innocuous looking challenge 20 minutes in left him hobbling away from the action, though, it was later revealed, not out of contention for Korea/Japan.

His team-mate Bowyer has effectively been ruled out of this summer's Far East jamboree, though Eriksson has given indications that he will consider the midfielder for the Euro 2004 qualifying campaign.

If he continues to produce contributions as skilful and telling as his 16th-minute strike here, the Swede will find it hard to overlook him for much longer.

Picking up the ball deep in his own half, Bowyer fed Alan Smith and charged forward to collect the striker's hooked return, before beating the advancing Mart Poom with a precision sand wedge of a finish.

Estonian Poom was starting his first game under John Gregory after a persistent finger injury, and if he was powerless to thwart Bowyer, it was down to him that Leeds were not out of sight by half time.

The Rams keeper produced agile stops to deny Harry Kewell and Bowyer again, in between which Robbie Keane, on for the stricken Fowler, poked tamely wide from six yards.

Derby offered next to nothing before the interval, and the change in personnel at County which the financial implications of relegation will provoke this summer could yet turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

Perhaps as an indication of times to come at Pride Park, the luxury of Giorgi Kinkladze's twinkle-toed cameos was sacrificed for the more workmanlike wing play of youngster Adam Bolder at half-time, and the substitute made some early headway, teeing up Branko Strupar for a chance which the Belgian ballooned, before testing Nigel Martyn with a long-range header.

Otherwise, Malcolm Christie shinned over from close range and Smith hit a post for the visitors before the home crowd gave their side a generous ovation at the end of the last Premiership game they will see for a while. Gregory will know they deserve better.

Man of the Match: Mart Poom (Derby) - His return to fitness is the one bright spot on Derby's bleak horizon. Boss John Gregory will be desperate to hold on to him.

Derby: Poom, Barton, Higginbotham, Riggott, Jackson, Kinkladze (Bolder 45), Lee, Boertien, Morris (Evatt 21), Strupar (Robinson 76), Christie.
Subs Not Used: Foletti, Murray.
Booked: Boertien, Evatt.

Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Ferdinand, Matteo, Harte, Bakke, Bowyer, Johnson, Kewell (Batty 87), Fowler (Keane 21), Smith.
Subs Not Used: Robinson, Wilcox, Richardson.

Att: 30,705
Ref: G Poll (Tring)

Opta Index (Match Stats)

Derby	Team	Leeds
0	Goals	1
2	Shots On Target (inc Goals)	3
8	Shots Off Target	4
1	Blocked Shots	3
5	Corners	6
10	Fouls Conceded	18
18	Fouls Won	9
3	Offsides	11
2	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0