Wayne Rooney pleased with Plymouth Argyle point at Derby County

Wayne Rooney thought Plymouth Argyle put in 'a good professional performance' as they played out a 1-1 draw with Derby County at Pride Park.

The Pilgrims moved up four positions in the Championship table from 22nd to 18th as they ended a run of five consecutive away defeats, although Rooney must have feared the worst when Derby took the lead against them with a wonderful overhead kick from Jerry Yates in only the eighth minute after Argyle failed to clear a corner.

Derby created enough good chances to have gone further ahead before half-time but a second goal did not come for them and, instead, Argyle equalised in the 41st minute with just their second away league goal of the campaign.

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They were awarded a free-kick 25 yards out for a push on Morgan Whittaker by Derby captain Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, much to the anger of County boss Paul Warne, and Adam Randell scored with a deflected shot. That was enough to earn a point for Argyle, who came under more pressure in the second half but they managed to hold on.

Rooney said: "I think it was a good professional performance. Derby are the best in the league at set plays and we knew that, and to concede so early on we knew then it was going to be a tough game.

"I thought we did well to get back in the game. We tried to take the ball and play our way in. We were also quite effective in playing balls into the channel and mixing it up a little bit, and then we get back to 1-1.

"We actually started the second half okay and had good control, and then in fairness to Derby they switched to a back five and went a bit more aggressive and we didn't deal with that as well I would have liked. We had to show character to stay in the game and in the end I'm pleased to come away with a point."

He added: "It's a very difficult place to come, especially with Derby's home form this season, so to get a point after going a goal down I think we all go away pleased with that."

Argyle have made an unwelcome habit of falling behind in away games this season and Rooney was annoyed at the way they did so against Derby.

"It's communication," he said. "We had Callum Wright and Kornel Szucs going for the same ball and they don't get the clearance on the ball we need. Then, of course, it's a great finish. From our point of view it's preventable but sometimes when you have a player who improvises the way he did it's a good goal."

Randell was made Argyle's captain for the day on his return from a thigh injury which had ruled him out of the previous two matches and his goal from the free-kick was his first since the 1-1 FA Cup draw away to Leeds United at the end of January.

Rooney said: "You take any goal. It was just important as Derby's. Adam is a very good free-kick taker. He nearly scored against Preston when we get the tap in off the keeper's save.

"He's our best free-kick taker we have got. I was hoping he would score and thankfully he did. It took a deflection but you get your rewards when you try things. I'm really pleased for him."

The closest either side came to scoring a second goal was when Yates tried an audacious long range lob of Argyle goalkeeper Dan Grimshaw, who was just about able to scramble back and claw the ball away from ending up in the net. Rooney said: "Thankfully Grimmy got back and made a fantastic save because it's always difficult when you are back pedalling."

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