The law of gravity may have finally caught up with Coventry, but, if the demise of football's great survivors has sent a collective shudder through those clubs hoping to establish themselves as worthy Premiership citizens, Derby's gatecrashing of Manchester United's title party should go some way to redressing the balance. It was, admittedly, their immense fortune to come across Alex Ferguson's side on a day when they scarcely attempted to conceal their end-of-season apathy, but this was still an act of escapology audacious enough for Jim Smith to acclaim it as the most significant achievement of his career. Given that there is still a fortnight of the season to play, it perhaps lacked the final-day soap opera that has been Coventry's speciality.
Yet Smith, having devoted more than half of his life to this unforgiving profession, is not prone to making rash statements. Ignoring for a moment the sense of triumphalism that comes with denting Old Trafford's superiority complex, let it not be forgotten that Derby, racked by injuries and suspensions, have recovered from a seemingly impossible position in mid-November when they were the only team in England without a league victory. "Considering everything, this has to go down as my greatest ever achievement," said Smith. "Most of all, it means this club will have been in the top division for longer than at any other time over the last 20 years and that makes me incredibly proud.
"I would have stayed if we had gone down, but this is a precarious business and I suppose it could have been taken out of my hands," he added. "As long as I am enjoying the game I will never quit and, believe me, I am still enjoying it. Feelings like this make you glad to be involved, and that's why I still love it. "
All in all, however, Smith will reflect that once Malcolm Christie had spun beyond Ronnie Wallwork after 34 minutes to arrow a left-foot drive into the top-right corner of Fabien Barthez's net, there were fewer nerve-shredding moments than he could have dared anticipate. United were presented with the Premiership trophy and, once the players had done their lap of honour, Ferguson gave his acceptance speeches from a gaudy red-gold stand in the centre of the pitch. Everyone was happy and the champagne flowed. But this was Derby's day.
MAN UTD: Barthez (Van Der Gouw 87), Irwin, Wallwork, Johnsen, Phil Neville (Silvestre 76), Beckham, Stewart (Giggs 64), Butt, Chadwick, Cole, Sheringham. Subs Not Used: Stam, Yorke. Booked: Phil Neville.
DERBY: Poom, Riggott, Carbonari, Higginbotham, Mawene, Boertien, Delap, Eranio, Kinkladze (Gudjonsson 77), Morris, Christie (Bolder 90). Subs Not Used: Grant, Bragstad, Jackson. Goals: Christie 34.
Referee: N Barry (Scunthorpe).
