Rams reach play-off final on penalties

Derby reached the Coca-Cola Championship play-off final at Wembley after beating Southampton 4-3 on penalties after a pulsating match at Pride Park had finished 3-2 in favour of the Saints.

Darren Moore had given the Rams an early lead in regular time, only for Jhon Viafara to level and then propel Saints into the lead thanks to a second-half strike.

A Leon Best own goal made the scoreline 2-2 on the night and 4-3 to the Rams on aggregate, only for ex-Derby striker and Saints substitute Grzegorz Rasiak to take the tie into extra time with a last-minute strike. But after a goalless extra 30 minutes, the Rams won the shootout 4-3 to set up a showdown with the winners of Wednesday night's West Brom-Wolves semi-final.

The goalscoring drama started after the first corner of the game, taken in the second minute by Matt Oakley. Moore headed home to give the hosts the lead, despite Kelvin Davis and Andy Surman's best efforts to clear on the goalline.

But Saints were level in little more than 90 seconds. Viafara volleyed home from long range after Rams goalkeeper Stephen Bywater could head only partially clear after being played into trouble by goalscorer Moore.

After the break Southampton piled on the pressure and in the 54th minute, Best spread the ball right to an unmarked Viafara, who netted his second of the night to give Saints a 2-1 lead and level the aggregate score at 3-3.

Giles Barnes, whose season was thought to be over after the midfielder suffered a knee injury last month, replaced Jonathan Macken in the 62nd minute. In the 65th minute he put pressure on Best, whose near post header flashed home from Johnson's right-wing corner.

But then in the 90th minute, Saints substitute Djamel Belmadi burst through to cross for Rasiak, who netted from close range to keep his team's hopes of promotion alive and take the tie into extra time.

Extra time opened with Stephen Pearson crossing from the left and a lunging Craig Fagan narrowly failing to make telling contact with the Saints goal at his mercy. In the 96th minute, Steve Howard flicked on for Fagan whose effort was tipped onto the crossbar by Davis before Chris Baird headed over at the cost of a fruitless Derby corner.

But Best missed the visitors' first spot-kick and Inigo Idiakez their fourth to gift victory to the Rams, who had seen Jones, Howard, Barnes and Jay McEveley slot from 12 yards.