Barclays Premier League
Gareth Davis reports from Ewood Park

It was the Roque and Roberts show in Lancashire as Derby let slip a first-half lead to go down to a 3-1 defeat away to Blackburn Rovers.

Kenny Miller's first Premier League goal since before Christmas had given them an advantage they looked set to hold until the interval but Roque Santa Cruz's close-range finish dashed that hope.

And when Jason Roberts made it 2-1 seconds after half-time the Rams were really up against it.

They had a couple of half-chances at the right end but Roy Carroll was by far the busier of the two goalkeepers and produced a number of fine saves, though he was helpless when Santa Cruz made it three.

Miles Addison was called in for his first-ever Premier League appearance - and his first senior Rams outing in just over two years - for the clash at Ewood Park.

The teenager made his breakthrough with two games while still a first-year Academy scholar in April 2006 but has had to be patient for another chance since signing professional last summer.

Derby's defensive options had been hit in the week with Alan Stubbs undergoing a knee operation in a bid to ready him for the 2008/09 season.

At the other end of the field there was a recall for striker Robert Earnshaw following his goalscoring appearance as a substitute against Arsenal five days previously.

The first shot on target was Blackburn's, four minutes in, thouogh it never looked likely to open the scoring as Roy Carroll safely grabbed David Bentley's free-kick from fully 35 yards.

Then the Rams were a couple of inches away from taking the lead in bizarre fashion as Robert Earnshaw closed down Brad Friedel's clearance and the ball rebounded just over the bar.

Jason Roberts and Morten Gamst Pedersen threatened with efforts from a narrow angle either side of the Derby goal as the brisk start continued.

Addison's first real involvement, after a couple of assured early touches, was an excellent 17th-minute header to clear Bentley's cross as Roque Santa Cruz looked set to pounce.

And from the resulting corner Derby broke to take the lead with a goal right out of route one.

Carroll claimed the flag-kick and launched his clearance long for Kenny Miller, who timed his run to perfection and escaped the Blackburn offside trap through the middle before finishing calmly past Brad Friedel.

It sent the visiting fans, already in full voice behind the opposite goal, into an even more excited state.

Kenny Miller races away to put Derby in front. Picture by Action Images/Paul Currie

Blackburn piled the pressure on quickly and weren't far away from levelling five minutes later through Brett Emerton, who took aim some 25 yards out and saw his shot deflect just past the post via Robbie Savage.

Though for all their possession the home side weren't offering any serious test to Carroll, or indeed Derby's back-line.

That was until just after the half-hour mark and it came from nothing as Bentley tried an audacious chip from 25 yards that Carroll did well to stretch back and tip over the bar.

Bentley's ability on the ball was starting to show and on 34 he was the provider for Chris Samba, who rose to meet a free-kick only to head straight at Carroll.

Derby, for their part, weren't having a great deal of the ball in Blackburn's territory, though a spell of pressure two minutes before the break almost saw them double their lead.

Savage, Hossam Ghaly, Darren Moore and Miller were all involved before the ball dropped invitingly for Earnshaw, who smashed a half-volley goalwards only to see it blocked superbly by Steven Reid in front of goal.

And the equaliser arrived in first-half stoppage-time.

Pedersen had time to line up a powerful effort from just outside the box that Carroll couldn't gather and the ball rolled out to Santa Cruz, who made no mistake with the rebound from close-range.

The turnaround was complete less than 90 seconds after half-time as Rovers found themselves gifted the lead.

Derby failed to clear their lines on the edge of their own box, allowing Jason Roberts to pick up the ball and take time to compose himself before slotting past Carroll.

Roberts almost made it three soon afterwards bubt was denied by a fine Moore block.

Eight minutes in Rovers should have made it three. Derby stoood waiting, almost expecting a decision to go against them, but Bentley was aware enough to nip in and roll a low cross that Moore's out-stretched leg cleared from in front of goal.

There was something of a blue and white tide heading towards Derby's goal and only an acrobatic Carroll stop kept out Roberts's clever effort.

The Rams changed things around on 65 with Mile Sterjovski taking over from Ghaly, in a move that saw Tyrone Mears drop across into the middle of midfield, but they were almost undone immediately.

A long ball was allowed to bounce on the edge of the box and Roberts's shot was poked wide by Carroll for a corner that ultimately saw Ryan Nelsen volley just wide.

It was Carroll v Roberts again on 68 and once more Derby's stopper came out victorious with another fine one-on-one save.

Eddie Lewis's afternoon was over 19 minutes from the end as he was replaced by Tito Villa, with Miller moving out to the left.

But Blackburn's third goal ultimately arrived in rather simple style 13 minutes from the end.

They had a corner on the left and toyed with Derby before lifting the ball over to the far post where Santa Cruz dived in to head home his second of the afternoon.

Defeat also now means that Derby will go down with the lowest points total in Premier League history as the maximum they can now reach is 14.

BLACKBURN: Friedel, Warnock, Samba, Nelsen (C), Emerton, Vogel (Tugay 60), Santa Cruz, Bentley, Pedersen (Olsson 78), Reid, Roberts (Derbyshire 78).

SUBSTITUTES: Brown (GK), Ooijer.

DERBY: Carroll, McEveley, Earnshaw, Miller, Lewis (Villa 71), Todd, Moore, Mears, Addison, Ghaly (Sterjovski 65), Savage (C).

SUBSTITUTES: Price (GK), Feilhaber, Beardsley.

ATTENDANCE: 26,110.

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