Derby through to Carling Cup semis

Derby County are through to the semifinals of the Carling Cup for the first time in their history after knocking Stoke City out of the tournament at Britannia Stadium.

Derby triumphed 1-0 in an evenly matched encounter that began with a dull first half, before both clubs created a flurry of scoring opportunities in the second half.

It was Derby’s Nathan Ellington who finally put his club ahead of Stoke, stroking home an effortless penalty minutes into extra time to hand a club presently languishing in the Football Championship a win over a Premiership team.

“That’s the way he takes them,” Derby manager Paul Jewell said after the match. “One of these days he’ll miss one and he’ll get a rollicking from me. But he waits to see which way the keeper dives. Credit to the lad.”

Stoke manager Tony Pulis blamed the referee for his side’s capitulation, but acknowledged that his side had been some way of the form that saw them hold Hull to a draw in the Premiership on the weekend.

“He made a couple of mistakes in my book, but then so did a few of my players. It was our fault we have gone out, we had plenty of chances and Ricardo Fuller could have had four. But I am not going to slaughter the referee, he just made a couple of mistakes.”