Carlisle United lose last game as Derby are promoted

Derby County 2 Carlisle United 0: Carlisle ended their relegation season on a losing note as Derby sealed promotion at Pride Park.

A 30th defeat from 46 league games was sealed by goals from Max Bird and James Collins.

It was enough to clinch a place in the Championship for the jubilant Rams - and sent bottom-placed United back to League Two with a familiar losing feeling.

Bird rifled the opener inside the first five minutes, and then Collins made promotion secure on the hour mark with a close-range finish.

Carlisle competed well for first-half spells but offered little in the second half as Paul Simpson's side were comfortably beaten in front of a big 1,700+ travelling support in a 31,027 crowd, a pitch invasion at full-time greeting Derby's return to the second tier.

For the game which was televised live on Sky Sports, United boss Simpson made one change to last weekend's XI, with fit-again Dylan McGeouch coming in to midfield at the expense of Jack Diamond.

Carlisle only named six substitutes with Paul Huntington not involved in the squad.

Hosts Derby brought in Bird at the expense of Liam Thompson, the hosts knowing a win or draw would see them promoted.

And it took the Rams less than five minutes to raise the volume in an already loud Pride Park with the opening goal.

After Nathaniel Mendez-Laing had gone close from outside the box, an attack down the right ended with Bird breaking into space before rifling past Lewis with a powerful strike.

That saw the home fans erupt as they took an early step towards promotion.

United's response, though, was bright, with Alfie McCalmont twice seeing handball appeals in the box turned down by ref Ben Toner.

Amid a further positive spell, McCalmont saw a shot deflected over the bar while Jack Armer tested keeper Joe Wildsmith from the resulting corner.

Serious chances from there were scarce, Carlisle defending their lines well enough, Sam Lavelle timing a challenge well to deny Collins, and other crosses dealt with by Simpson's defence.

Derby were then denied a second just after the half-hour mark when Ebou Adams' acrobatic finish was ruled out for offside, after Sibley's initial shot had been blocked.

At the other end, home keeper Joe Wildsmith had to tip over a dipping Georgie Kelly header, before Derby broke from the corner and pounced on United, requiring Lewis to come out of his box to tackle Mendez-Laing.

After the break, Mendez-Laing flashed a cross just out of Collins' reach before Sibley shot high over Lewis's bar as Derby looked to kill Carlisle off.

And the decisive moment then came just before the hour mark as United failed to deal with a long Wildsmith free-kick and as the ball broke, Collins was in space to fire it home.

Big celebrations again tore around Derby's stadium as Carlisle were sent towards a closing-day defeat.

It should have been three when Lavelle was caught on the ball and Mendez-Laing went through, but Lewis managed to grab the ball as the forward tried to turn United's keeper.

United sub Diamond had a shot blocked soon after coming on but the Blues offered little else in the Rams' half, Warne's side closing things out with ease as celebrations started at Pride Park with fans pouring onto the pitch - and Carlisle were left staring at a crucial summer rebuild ahead of League Two next season.

Derby: Wildsmith, Bradley (Blackett-Taylor 90), Cashin, Nelson, Wilson (Hourihane 71), Smith, Sibley (Elder 71), Bird (Thompson 84), Adams, Mendez-Laing (Barkhuizen 84), Collins. Not used: Vickers, Washington.

Goals: Bird 5, Collins 59.

United: Lewis, Back, Armer. Lavelle, Barclay, Mellish, McGeouch (Diamond 74), Neal, McCalmont, Kelly (Gibson 69), Armstrong. Not used: Breeze, Harris, Emmanuel, Dudik.

Booked: Neal.

Ref: Ben Toner.

Crowd: 31,027.