George sends Derby packing

But within two minutes the breakthrough came. Marcus Stewart did well to win the ball on the left and then Matt Holland drew the Derby defence before slipping the ball to the right of the area for the unmarked George. The former European Cup winner with Ajax made it look so simple as he slipped the ball into the net leaving Mart Poom helpless.

Derby keeper Poom had to react elastically to push away another fine effort by George on 38 minutes. And then the keeper somehow managed to flick away a remarkable longrange lob from the Nigerian. Then, in added-on time in the first half, Poom was badly injured trying to stop Martijn Reuser who went on to shoot towards an empty net only to hit Chris Riggott on the head. Poom continued but only after several minutes of treatment.

Ipswich, who hoped to arrange a one-year loan for Inter Milan's 22-year-old Argentine midfield player Sixto Peralta by the weekend, went further ahead in the 48th minute when Naylor made contact at the near post, despite the challenge of Higginbotham.

It was George who wrapped it up, heading home from a Reuser corner in the 76th minute to make it 3-0. Fabrizio Ravenelli pulled one back for Derby in the 83rd minute, his second in as many games, but it was only a consolation.