BRISTOL ROVERS 0
DERBY COUNTY 3
Gayle 55, Barkhuizen 58, Waghorn 89
PAUL Warne brushed off his Derby side moving back into the top-two positions after a convincing win.
The Rams boss explained that if his team keep winning, following the club’s sixth victory in their past nine, then the Midlanders need not worry about what any of their rivals are doing.
Dwight Gayle opened the scoring in the 55th minute, bundling in after Tom Barkhuizen’s shot had hit the crossbar and bounced on the goalline, before Barkhuizen guided in a first-time effort from a Nathaniel Mendez-Laing pass.
Sub Martyn Waghorn made sure of the result when he poked in from close range late on.
“We just keep saying to the lads don’t look at the table, just keep playing your best football for ten games and see where we’re at,” said Warne.
“Everything matters – I’ve said that from day one. I was talking to the lads that it’s 250 days since we started this campaign and everything matters, every tackle you make and miss.”
Warne’s side have now won back-to-back league games 3-0 and his side may be finding form at the right time. The former Rotherham boss is eager for his side to find yet more consistency.
He added: “You’ve just got to be bang on the money if you’re going to be successful and this performance is already over. I want the lads to enjoy it for about half an hour, but then we’ve got to do it on Tuesday. You have got to be relentless.
“My only slight criticism is that at times we let them off the hook where we could have really finished them off. But I’m pleased with the goals and clean sheet.”
Gayle bundled in from close range in the 55th minute after a poor clearance from Lewis Gordon fell to Barkhuizen, who then swept against the bar, with 34-year-old Gayle quickest to prod in from inches out as the ball bounced on the line.
Seconds later Derby doubled their lead when Mendez-Laing broke forward then played the ball across for Barkhuizen to double the lead in the 58th minute with a powerful first-time strike into the top corner.
Antony Evans curled just over the bar with 25 minutes left to play and Eiran Cashin had to clear off the goalline as Scott Sinclair advanced on goal with
