Wimbledon fight back to earn draw

Battling Wimbledon fought back to earn a deserved draw and prevent Derby's march into the Premiership top five in last night's replayed match at Pride Park. Their previous encounter on August 13th - the first league match played at Derby's impressive new stadium - was abandoned prematurely by a floodlight failure with Jim Smith's side well placed in a 2-1 lead.

But needing victory to lift them above Leicester and Leeds into fifth place, they failed to repeat that performance and after Francesco Baiano fired Derby ahead, defender Gary Rowett headed into his own net to earn Wimbledon a point.

Derby, beaten just twice, since that untimely failure of the floodlights, looked anything like a team unbeaten in six matches and were lucky to reach the interval level.

Twice their defence suffered lapses in concentration, but Wimbledon failed to convert their chances on both occasions.

Carl Cort, surprised by Paulo Wanchope's mis-kick as he attempted to clear Ben Thatcher's 14th minute cross, fired over the bar from eight yards unchallenged to give Derby an early warning.

Robbie Earle almost made amends for Cort's early error as the interval approach but his powerful header from Kenny Cunningham's centre was skilfully pushed over the bar by keeper Mart Poom.

Derby, by contrast threatened only briefly and forced only two saves from Wimbledon keeper Neil Sullivan - a straightforward stop at the near post from Wanchope and a diving save to his right to push Lee Carsley's fierce drive round the post.

However ineffective they were in the opening 45 minutes, Derby improved noticeably after the interval and Wanchope's aerial presence enabled them to make the breakthrough eight minutes into the second half.

Aljoso Asanovic, recalled to the side after missing most of the season, crossed from the right and Wanchope rose at the far post to head back across goal and enable Baiano to claim his eighth goal in as many Premiership matches since his £1.5 million summer move from Fiorentini.

Wimbledon predictably pushed forward for the equaliser and almost fluked themselves level when captain Vinnie Jones' chip across goal rebounded back off the far post and to safety.

With just 20 minutes remaining Wimbledon drew level when hesitancy in the Derby defence left defender Rowett challenging Cort at the far post only for his attempted headed clearance to beat goalkeeper Poom and bring the sides level.

Both sides frantically searched for a late winner as Neil Ardley, a half-time substitute for Kerry Hughes came closest for Wimbledon by bursting through only for his 25-yard shot to be comfortably saved by Poom.

Derby County: Poom, Rowett, C. Powell, Sturridge (Burton 83), Wanchope, Asanovic (D Powell 83), Trollope, Laursen, Carsley, Dailly, Baiano. Subs Not Used: Hoult, Kozluk, Hunt. Booked: Asanovic, Wanchope. Goals: Baiano 53.

Wimbledon: Sullivan, Cunningham, Jones, Blackwell, Thatcher (McAllister 59), C Hughes (Ardley 45), Earle, Ekoku, Perry, M. Hughes, Cort. Subs Not Used: Heald, Gayle, Castledine. Booked: Jones. Goals: Rowett 70 og.

Referee: U D Rennie (Sheffield).