Carling Cup second round
Gareth Davis reports from Pride Park Stadium

Derby County are out of the Carling Cup at the first hurdle after a sudden-death penalty shoot-out defeat at home to Blackpool.

Steve Howard and Bob Malcolm saw their efforts saved in the first phase of kicks while Wes Hoolahan blasted wide and Stephen Bywater produced a fine stop to block Keith Southern's effort.

Bywater himself netted with a thunderous effort but the crucial moment came with the 17th kick as Darren Moore dragged his shot wide and visiting skipper Michael Jackson wrapped things up in front of the Blackpool fans.

The action that went before was cup football at its best.

Mo Camara's goal on the hour looked as if it would separate the two sides until Kaspars Gorkss powered home a header with five minutes to go.

Craig Fagan nodded home on 100 minutes and once again that looked to have won it until Gorkss popped up again with a replica finish right at the death.

Both sides had chances to have won the game in normal time and in extra time.

Academy graduate Jason Beardsley was handed a senior Derby County debut in the side to take on Championship outfit Blackpool.

The 18-year-old lined up at right-back after signing his first professional contract in the summer and impressing during pre-season.

There were also recalls to the starting XI for Darren Moore, who took over the captain's armband, Dean Leacock, Mo Camara, David Jones, Bob Malcolm and Robert Earnshaw, while Gary Teale kept his place after shining in Saturday's defeat at home to Birmingham.

Camara, playing in a left-midfield role, helped set up the game's first shot - a fifth-minute Malcolm effort that flew safely wide from 25 yards.

At the other end Scott Vernon met David Fox's cross but couldn't direct his header towards goal.

Blackpool keeper Rhys Evans was tested on eight minutes after a move involving Beardsley, Earnshaw and Malcolm saw Jones fire a low effort that the Welshman turned around the post.

Beardsley was looking calm and composed in the early stages, particularly with the ball at his feet, and several crosses into the danger-area caused Blackpool plenty of concern.

But the youngster found himself cautioned on 20 minutes, though referee Nigel Miller's decision was harsh to say the least.

John Hills poked the ball past him and a slight grab at his shorts hardly stopped the Blackpool man in his tracks, though Miller chose to wait until the ball had gone out - for a corner - before giving Beardsley his first look at a yellow card in professional football.

Eleven minutes later Camara drove inside on to his right foot and found Evans' hands from 20 yards.

And Derby were nearly caught out by a long ball as Keigan Parker saw the opportunity but couldn't lift his shot beyond the advancing Stephen Bywater from the edge of the box.

Jones threatened on 36 with a dipping 30-yarder that had Evans looking back more in hope than expectation but, fortunately for the visitors, the ball dropped narrowly wide of the target.

The midfielder continued to offer shots from distance and although his next was some ten yards closer in, Evans was once again relieved to see the ball drift just past the post.

Neither side made a change during the interval, but Blackpool were switching things around just three minutes into the second period as Wes Hoolahan took over from Hills.

Blackpool really should have been in front on 55.

Derby were split open after a couple of loose passes in midfield and Parker strode through unchallenged, but Bywater got just enough of a foot on his shot to divert it wide.

The resulting corner caused chaos inside the Derby area and led to strong handball appeals being rejected, before Parker smacked a shot against the post from just outside the box with Bywater beaten.

Beardsley received a lengthy warning from Miller after an overly-exuberant challenge on Parker, and Fox's free-kick bounced right through without being met by a Blackpool foot.

That was the teenager's last action as he was replaced by Andy Todd on the hour, with the former Blackburn man dropping in at centre-half and Leacock moving over to the right.

It was perhaps a precautionary measure as much as anything else following the stark warning Miller handed out to Beardsley after the challenge on Parker.

But Beardsley had certainly impressed on his professional debut and more than justified Billy Davies's faith in throwing him in from the start.

And out of absolutely nothing the Rams went in front on 62.

Camara popped up on the right and swung a ball into the Blackpool box that somehow evaded everyone and beat Evans to the far corner.

Whether he meant it is open to debate but he celebrated his first goal for the Rams with a broad smile on his face.

Mo Camara celebrates his first goal for the Rams. Picture by EMPICS Sport

Steve Howard then replaced Earnshaw, who had taken a heavy knock in a challenge from ex-Ram Ian Evatt shortly before the goal.

Blackpool responded by introducing Keith Southern for Michael Flynn and Andy Morrell in place of striker Vernon.

A quickly-taken free-kick saw Bywater spring into action as Southern's effort was deflected goalwards.

The traffic was heading towards Derby's goal again on 75 as Hoolahan broke and fed Parker, who turned inside but couldn't get enough power on his shot to trouble Bywater.

Fox's long free-kick was allowed to curl dangerously towards the Derby goal and looked destined for the back of the net until Bywater sprung acrobatically to palm it away.

The Rams' final change of the evening came with nine minutes left as Stephen Pearson took over from goalscorer Camara.

But the equaliser arrived with 85 showing on the clock.

Shaun Barker found space on the right and hurled over an inviting cross to the far post where Kaspars Gorkss rose unchallenged to power a header home.

Teale came inside to force Evans into a smart stoppage-time save low down at his near post and Derby broke again right at the death, but Leacock's ball in was easy for the custodian to claim.

Substitute Morrell had the first shot of extra-time but his 20-yarder was nowhere near threatening a second for the visitors.

And the Rams' first effort saw them retake the lead.

Teale created space for himself on the right and his cross took a slight deflection, which lifted it up nicely for Craig Fagan to head home from eight yards.

It was Teale who had the second period's opening opportunity when he came inside after being fed by a fine Pearson pass, but Evans was equal to his low near-post effort.

Forbes could have done better than to poke a weak foot at a long ball but Blackpool kept up the pressure and peppered the Derby box with crosses and corners.

The firm head of Moore was in position more often than not however to clear with height and distance.

But right at the end of the 120 minutes the visitors levelled it up again.

Once more it came from a cross from the right, this time by Parker, and once more Gorkss rose unchallenged at the far post to power his header past Bywater.

It was an almost identical copy of his first goal and sent the game to penalties.

Howard SAVED 0-0	Fox SCORED 0-1
Fagan SCORED 1-1	Hoolahan OVER 1-1
Malcolm SAVED 1-1	Southern SAVED 1-1
Teale SCORED 2-1	Evatt SCORED 2-2
McEveley SCORED 3-2	Parker SCORED 3-3

Pearson SCORED 4-3

Morrell SCORED 4-4

Bywater SCORED 5-4

Forbes SCORED 5-5

Todd SCORED 6-5

Barker SCORED 6-6

Moore WIDE 6-6

Jackson SCORED 6-7

DERBY: Bywater, Beardsley (Todd 60), Moore (C), Leacock, McEveley, Teale, Malcolm, Jones, Camara (Pearson 81), Fagan, Earnshaw (Howard 65).

SUBS: Price (GK), Macken.

BLACKPOOL: Evans, Jackson (C), Evatt, Parker, Forbes, Vernon (Morrell 69), Fox, Hills (Hoolahan 48), Gorkss, Barker, Flynn (Southern 69.

SUBS: Rachubka (GK), Lawlor.

ATTENDANCE: 8,658 (967 visiting fans).