Soccer: Smith stunned by 'disgraceful' Rams
Jim Smith was picking up the pieces of what he labelled a "disgraceful" and "embarrassing" FA Cup nightmare for Derby against Blackburn.
Smith has seen almost everything in his lengthy managerial career but even the 'Bald Eagle' was almost at a loss to explain his side's extraordinary second-half capitulation at Pride Park as they lost 5-2.
The Rams threw away a third-minute lead given to them by defender Chris Riggott and went completely AWOL after the break as rampant Rovers hammered five goals in just 31 minutes in their fourth-round replay.
Blackburn boss Graeme Souness admitted the secret of his side's turnaround was a half-time rollicking for Jason McAteer - who responded by setting up the first two goals for Garry Flitcroft and Marcus Bent.
Souness said: "We were disappointed in the first half that we got into areas on the right where we might have been able to punish Derby and we didn't do that.
"I spoke to Jason about that and the second goal was an example of how it worked."
While the First Division promotion chasers bask in their deserved glory Smith will have a harder task on the training ground this week as he seeks an explanation for the 45 minute horror show.
That it came so soon after a magnificent 1-0 Premiership win over Sunderland and indeed after a first half when the dominant Rams could have hit a hat-full merely served to amplify Smith's bewilderment.
"In the first half we should have turned in 3-0 up if not more, and in the second half they scored very early and we fell apart," Smith said.
"It was open house. We had 10 minutes where they got three goals and even when we got back to 3-2 and all to play for, we were just kamikaze.
"We just allowed Blackburn to do as they wish and that was the very disappointing thing. It was an embarrassment."
