NIGEL Clough was pleased with the performance of his Derby County side against Hull City, who moved joint top of the Championship with last night's 2-1 victory at Pride Park.

Michael Jacobs' first goal for the Rams on the stroke of half-time cancelled out Robert Koren's 26th-minute opener for Hull.

But defender Abdoulaye Faye headed the Tigers back in front early in the second half.

It was enough to give high-flying Hull a seventh away win of the season and they boast the best away record in the division.

"I thought we played pretty well over the course of the game," said the Rams manager.

"The two goals, that's the only couple of things they have had and the second one happened when we switched off at a set piece just after half-time and that has cost us the game.

"Michael Jacobs' goal was well deserved in the first half. It was funny, on the sidelines we were getting ready to go in at half-time wondering what to say to the players because it had been a brilliant 45 minutes for us and yet we could have gone in 1-0 down.

"We got the equaliser but didn't quite look after it long enough."

Derby stuck with the 4-5-1 formation with which they beat Bristol City at Ashton Gate last Saturday and it left some fans calling for top scorer Theo Robinson.

Clough said: "The performance was so good at Bristol that we decided to go with the same formation and a lot of the good performances here at Pride Park in parts of games have been when we have gone with the five across midfield, when we have moved Theo Robinson out to the right.

"So we didn't see much reason to change it and it wasn't the formation that did us."

DERBY City Council is to see its income reduce by an additional £5 million next year following the Government's funding settlement announced this week.

The Department for Communities and Local Government has revealed Derby's overall income will be cut by 2.3% next year – equating to £5 million.

That reduction is higher than the national average of 1.7% and much higher than neighbouring authorities of Nottingham and Leicester, whose cuts are 0.5% and 0.1% respectively.

And the news is worse for the following year, when that cut will be 5% – more than £10 million.

Councillor Sarah Russell, cabinet member in charge of finances at Derby City Council, said: "This is another kick in the teeth to local authorities. It confirms what we have always believed and that is local government is bearing the brunt of spending cuts.

"I can only speculate on why it is that Derby is getting such a raw deal compared with other authorities. Maybe it is because we are standing against the Government on some of its policies."

What is not clear is how the latest reduction in income will affect the budget on which the council is currently consulting and is due to set in January.

The funding settlement lets the council know by how much its overall "spending power" will be reduced – this could mean smaller direct grants from Whitehall or rules that set a cap on how much money it can raise on its own, such as through council tax – and some of this could relate to specific areas of its budget.

Until these details are known, the city council will not be able to calculate where cuts have to be made and where it will need to change plans to bring in more cash.

Miss Russell said: "The timing was always tight with this Comprehensive Spending Review announcement only being made this week. But, because there are still so many gaps in the information Government has provided, it is affecting our ability to prudently plan our budget."

She said the settlement for 2014-15 was particularly worrying. "Councils were always told the cuts would be front-loaded, so it would be worse at the beginning, but that is not the case at all because we are seeing the spending power cut more in 2014-15."

When the Telegraph asked the Department for Communities and Local Government why Derby had received a raw deal in the settlement, Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles claimed it was a fair funding deal.

He said: "Councils must do three things to get on the right road for their residents: put our fair funding deal to work; do every single one of our 50 ways to save; and accept our council tax freeze offer. Councils that cry wolf without having done all of this are letting their residents down.

"Councils that put their thinking caps on now can save precious taxpayer pennies next year by cutting out waste and transforming frontline services that vulnerable people rely on."

Miss Russell said Mr Pickles' suggestions were "patronising" as the council was working hard to save money wherever possible.

THE East Midlands Ambulance Service dealt with a record number of calls yesterday - 457 more than on a typical Friday.

In total, 2,384 emergency calls were received and EMAS officials blamed excessive drinking for the majority of the calls.
 
An EMAS spokesman said: "We geared up for a very busy night because the last Friday before Christmas is traditionally a time of high demand as people finish work and start to party.

"Sadly, many of the patients we dealt with had their night out spoilt and some will even be spending Christmas in hospital rather than with their family and friends.

"We expect the increase in demand to continue over Christmas and into the New Year and whilst we don't want to be killjoys, we'd urge people to drink sensibly to avoid the same problems happening to them."

Burton can welcome back midfielder Lee Bell to their squad for the Boxing Day fixture against Rochdale.

Bell missed the 3-2 defeat at Barnet on Friday night, serving a suspension after receiving five yellow cards, with Jack Dyer his replacement.

Manager Gary Rowett is likely to reinstate Bell after the Brewers continued their inconsistent form at Underhill.

Rowett's men remain only one point behind seventh-placed Exeter, but recent defeats to Barnet, Wycombe, and Aldershot will be a cause of concern.

The npower League Two side will be boosted by the news that striker Matt Paterson and club captain John McGrath are closing in on a return to action following injury.

Paterson had a run out for the reserves on his comeback from a groin strain, will McGrath made the bench against the Bees, following a foot injury.

Rochdale remain without Terry Gornell for the clash at the Pirelli Stadium.

On-loan Shrewsbury forward Gornell serves the final game of a three-match ban for his red card in the closing stages of the 3-2 defeat to Exeter earlier this month - a contest in which he netted both of Dale's goals.

Bobby Grant recovered from a shoulder injury to bolster the Dale attack in Gornell's absence and open the scoring in Friday night's resounding 4-1 home win over Cheltenham.

Ashley Grimes bagged a brace for the second consecutive match and veteran striker Dele Adebola completed the scoring as John Coleman's side ended a run of four straight defeats.

Midfielder Reece Gray is continuing his rehabilitation from a serious leg injury but will not feature until the new year.

ABOUT 30 people have been rescued by firefighters from cars and coaches across the county after their vehicles became stuck in flood water.

This includes 24 passengers on a coach in Leathersley Lane, Scropton; a driver in a car in Tamworth Road, Sawley and an elderly couple and a child in a vehicle in Buckford Lane, Findern.

Two people also had to be rescued from their car by a passer-by after it became stuck in flood water in Ingleby Lane, Swarkestone, with all the rescues happening on Saturday afternoon and evening.

Flooding continues to disrupt roads and public transport today - with East Midlands Trains suspending its services between Derby and Nottingham and replacing it with buses, due to flood water in Long Eaton. 

Problems with flooding in Uttoxeter is also disrupting services between Derby and Stoke.

And many parts of Derbyshire have still been issued with flood warnings and alerts, including areas along the Rivers Trent, Dove, and Derwent. 

Roads closed because of flooding include Arleston Lane, in Sinfin - at the junction of Grampian Way; Wragley Way, also in Sinfin - at the junction of Deep Dale Lane; Station Road, in Rolleston; Sawley Road, in Draycott; the A515 between Sudbury and Ashbourne and Scropton Road, Scropton.   

Drivers along Tamworth Road, in Sawley; London Road, in Shardlow; the A514 in Swarkestone are also being asked to take care.

And Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging drivers not to ignore road closure signs - instead asking them to find an alternative route.

CRAIG Bryson's niggling knee injury continues to cause concern as Derby County prepare for three games in seven days.

The Rams play Burnley at Turf Moor on Boxing Day and travel to take on Charlton Athletic on Saturday before they entertain Middlesbrough at Pride Park on New Year's Day.

Bryson was told he could be out for between four and six weeks but the midfielder played in the victory over Bristol City and a full game in the home defeat by Hull City on Friday night.

Derby expect the Scot to be fit to face Burnley but they are unsure whether he can manage all three games.

"Craig is going to be a concern for the next four to six weeks with his knee," said manager Nigel Clough.

"His knee gets very sore towards the end of games and so he doesn't train for a couple of days afterwards.

"That is what the schedule is going to be for him and his knee will gradually improve over time.

"You can tell he is carrying it a little bit, especially as the game goes on.

"Ideally, we would have brought him off against Hull, as we did at Bristol, and maybe we could have done that and left Michael Jacobs on.

"There could come a stage in the busy programme when we do leave him out, possibly for the middle game at Charlton, but we will see how he is after Burnley."

Will Hughes took another hefty knock in the Hull game, this time on his other ankle.

He did not train with the rest of the squad on Saturday morning but it is hoped he will be able to join in today' session.

"Will should be fine for Boxing Day," said Clough.

"Another part of him getting used to Championship football is taking these whacks and not just taking them but getting through the game and playing the next game as well when you are not exactly 100%.

"He was limping a bit against Hull but when he was on the ball he was fine. He only limps when he hasn't got the ball!"

Mark O'Brien was an unused substitute against Hull after he felt unwell during the week.

The young defender made his first start in more than a year in the win at Bristol City in the previous game.

"Mark should be ready for Boxing Day," said Clough.

"We stuck him on the bench against Hull because if we needed him for 10 or 15 minutes, he could have done that.

"He is getting his strength back.

"There are so many bugs going around at the moment, in general.

"Ben Davies was off on Saturday morning because he felt unwell. He felt rough during the week and was sick on Friday night.

"We have to be very cautious with things like that.

"When you are in such a confined area, as we are at the training ground and together travelling on coaches, a bug can very easily spread and we don't want that over the Christmas period."

AN ABANDONED car that was stolen during a burglary was found by police following a collision.

The black BMW was discovered by police at 5.30am this morning.

It had collided with a lamppost in Mansfield Road, close to The Bridge Inn, in Derby.

A force spokesman said officers came across the vehicle "which had the driver's door open and the engine still running."

A computer check revealed that the BMW had been stolen from outside a house in Trent Lane, Kings Newton, near Melbourne, on Saturday afternoon.

A police spokesman said: "The owner was upstairs at his property at 2.15pm when he heard a bang and the noise of a car engine.

"He looked outside to see his car being driven away at speed.

"When he went downstairs he saw that the burglar had forced open a window to get into the property and take the keys to the car."

Anyone with information is asked to call the police on 101.

What is the Christmas message?

An opinion poll reported that 88% of people associated Christmas with being happy. Is the message 'Joy to the World'? Or in the immortal words of Noddy Holder belting out Slade's ever popular hit "so here it is, Merry Christmas, everybody's having fun".

In a scientific world we want evidence. The question is always 'is it true?' The evidence seems to contradict the message of joy and fun.

Look at the terrible conflicts across the world. Especially in the land of Jesus' birth. Look at the levels of stress in so many lives. Stress levels that tend to rise at Christmas. Look at the pressures and problems mounting up – debt, pensions, homelessness, young people without jobs.

Many 'modern' people would dismiss any Christian message couched in the traditional terms of peace and joy. Christmas might be time for a rest, a break, seeing family and nothing more. The evidence seems clear. One message is indisputable. Human organisation and systems always struggle against the tide of conflict, corruption, crisis. That is the way of the world. It keeps newspapers and TV in business – reporting the ups and downs.

So what is true? What is the message? There is a famous story from the First World War. On Christmas Day, German and Allied troops declared an informal truce along one part of the front line. They emerged to share some food and drink and to play a game of football. Next day war resumed.

Here was a moment of hope. The instinct of human hearts for peace, for joy, for fun. Human systems will not deliver these things. But human hearts can.

It is no coincidence that the Christmas message is about a baby. Tiny children melt human hearts – they bring something out of each of us – about the preciousness and the possibilities of life.

The Christmas message is about hearts that dare to hope. That is what Christians seek to cultivate by going to church, by following the Christ child. He grew up to make a difference in terms of enabling peace and justice.

This is the truth some of us discovered in our city through the Redfern Commission, which has been in operation over the last six months. Systems and structures are under severe pressure. Cuts in public services as part of the necessary financial stringency. Voluntary and faith groups struggling to respond to new needs and challenges.

The Commission offered a space for conversation between citizens. People from all kinds of contexts came together to share concerns, but more, to share hopes. Hearts that hope can provide new life – new energies and new ways.

This is our opportunity for the coming year. A Christmas spirit of hope, even in a dark world, can provide the light and the direction for working together to create better ways of nurturing young people, making work opportunities available, developing partnerships between businesses and schools or voluntary groups. Increasingly, our capacity not just to cope but to celebrate.

Every heart has the capacity to hope. Christmas encourages us to own this truth and to act on it.

In our city we can each resolve to work more purposefully in this direction – together.

Whether or not you are a believer in the Christ, try to believe in the Christ-mas message. The key to peace and joy and fun is human hearts that dare to hope. Our world needs us to be hopeful each day. The message is not just for Christmas.

FIREFIGHTERS, the police and the RAF were called into action at the weekend as the emergency services received dozens of requests to be rescued from flooded roads.

Motorists were caught out by the depth of water, which was up to two feet on some roads in Long Eaton, Sawley, Draycott, Shardlow and Swarkestone.

In one incident, flood water around Sawley Marina prevented an ambulance from reaching a sick elderly woman on one of the boats moored there yesterday afternoon.

An RAF Sea King helicopter from RAF Valley on Anglesey, where Prince William is based, was scrambled to the marina and medics carried the elderly woman from the boat back to the land, before she was taken to hospital. Details about her condition were not known.

The Sea King was called because it was initially thought it might be necessary to winch down a crewman to reach the woman, though this was not necessary.

Couple Deanna and George Hibbert consider themselves lucky after they had to be rescued from their car by a passer-by when it was stuck in flood water in Ingleby Lane, near Swarkestone.

Firefighters from Kingsway and Ascot Drive stations – along with Matlock station's water rescue unit – had been on their way to help the trapped pair.

But before they arrived, firefighters were told by police that they had already been rescued by someone in the vicinity.

The couple, of Stenson Fields, were stuck near the Crewe and Harpur pub. They said: "We cannot thank the passer-by enough. He was a young man in a 4x4, who used a chain to pull us out.

"We were too traumatised to get his phone number but we thank him from the bottom of our hearts for his help. We also wanted to thank the emergency services for their help. Our car was a write-off but we are here to tell the tale."

Problems from flooding continued to mount throughout Saturday after river and brook levels rose and broke their banks.

Alex Johnston, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service group manager was frustrated that many people had become stuck in the water after ignoring road closure signs put up by the county council.

She said: "While the fire service personnel are dealing with flood problems of this nature, they are not available for real emergencies. It is very concerning, frustrating and some of the incidents were totally avoidable.

"I know that this is a busy time for people and they all want to visit relatives and do festive things. But a car full of water means they won't be going anywhere. It's better to find an alternative route and arrive safe and sound.

"With more rain forecast, people need to heed the signs or risk a miserable Christmas. If you can't see the kerbs, don't risk it."

Firefighters were called to Buckford Lane, near Findern, twice on Saturday night. In the first incident, an elderly couple and a child were trapped in their vehicle, which was dragged clear of the flood water. In the second incident, another three people were rescued from their vehicle, which was also stuck.

On the same evening, 22 people were rescued from a single-decker coach which had driven down flooded Leathersley Lane, in Scropton. The vehicle also had to be recovered.

Tamworth Road in Sawley had flood water flowing across it for much of the weekend, which led to a motorist being rescued at 6.20am on Sunday. And later yesterday, a family of four were rescued from a car on the same stretch of road after the water rose to about two feet high.

Police announced yesterday the A515 between Sudbury and Ashbourne was closed because of flood water but, despite this, within an hour passers-by were rescuing people and pulling a car out of the water after it had tried to travel along there.

Flooding also caused disruption to public transport throughout the weekend.

East Midlands Trains suspended its services between Derby and Nottingham and took passengers by bus instead, after the River Erewash burst it banks and flooded parts of Long Eaton.

Problems with flooding in Uttoxeter also led to a bus service running between Derby and Stoke, while the service between Derby and Crewe was also suspended.

The conditions led to more than 20 flood warnings and alerts being put in place over the weekend across many parts of Derbyshire adjacent to the Rivers Amber, Trent, Dove and Derwent.

Towns and villages included in the flood warnings were: Barrow-on-Trent; Barton-under-Needwood; Branston; Castle Donington; Catton; Church Wilne; Clay Mills; Doveridge; Egginton; Great Wilne; Ingleby; Kings Newton; Rolleston; Sawley; Stanton-by-Dale; Swarkestone; Sudbury, Trent Lock and Willington.

But by last night some of them had been lifted in areas around the River Dove.

Low-lying land and roads on the River Amber, at Ambergate; at Bottle Brook, from Denby to Little Eaton; near Foston Brook and Hilton Brook; at Newton Solney; at Rocester and at Rowsley; were subject to flood alerts.

Roads closed because of flooding included Station Road, Rolleston; Sawley Road, in Draycott; the A515 between Sudbury and Ashbourne and Scropton Road, Scropton.

Bus services were also affected by the weather. Trent Barton said, at one stage, it could not serve the stops between Long Eaton train station and the A50.

Flooding problems in Heage Lane, Etwall, which began with heavy rain on Thursday, are still affecting people going to Highfields Happy Hens to collect turkeys for Christmas Day.

Owner Roger Hosking said the farm was still open for business and was hopeful of selling scores of his remaining turkeys before 2pm today.

The Fox and Hounds pub, in Alfreton Road, Coxbench, was still open over the weekend but has had water seeping through its floor for the past three days.

Landlady Melanie Whysall said: "The staff are working hard and the customers are being incredibly understanding – we're persevering with true British spirit."

FLOODING over the weekend left more than 30 people needing to be rescued from deep water on Derbyshire's roads.

But Alex Johnson, from the county's fire service, said that many of the incidents could have been avoided if people had not ignored road-closure signs.

She labelled them "silly" and "irresponsible".

Even on roads said to be passable, including Tamworth Road, in Sawley, pictured here, drivers had to be rescued when conditions deteriorated.

And one woman needing hospital treatment was airlifted from a boat in Sawley Marina by an RAF Sea King helicopter, after floods prevented an ambulance from reaching her.

THE police helicopter crew helped to arrest 136 crime suspects in Derbyshire between January 1 and December 1.

During the same period, the crews searched for 134 missing people, traced 29 stolen or suspect vehicles and airlifted four casualties to hospital.

The North Midlands Helicopter Support Unit is jointly owned by Derbyshire Constabulary and Nottinghamshire Police.

It is based at Derbyshire Constabulary headquarters in Ripley, carrying out vital work to help officers on the ground to search for suspects, find missing people and track stolen vehicles.

In Derbyshire alone, the helicopter spent 268 hours in the air dealing with incidents such as these.

One incident, in Derby, happened on August 5 when a driver ran off from the scene of a collision on the A516.

The helicopter attended and the crew found a man, fitting the description, some half a mile from the scene. He was breathalysed and blew over the limit. He was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.

John Jameson, North Midlands Helicopter Support Unit Executive Officer, said: "The helicopter brings a dimension to policing which can't be achieved by conventional methods.

"Thanks to the crews, many suspects were apprehended who may have evaded capture if the helicopter had not attended an incident.

CUSTOMERS have nine days left to vote for the best business in Long Eaton and Ilkeston.

Shops and diners are battling it out in the Town Trader Awards scheme, which closes on January 4.

The awards, organised by the Erewash Partnership, ask the public for their opinions on, among others, best pint and grub, best customer service and most friendly to babies and children.

Forms are available from shops, town halls in Ilkeston and Long Eaton, and from the ilkeston.biz and long eaton.biz websites.

All forms must be returned to the partnership offices at the Old Police Station, Wharncliffe Road, Ilkeston, DE7 5GF, by 5pm on January 4.

METAL studs put on a wall outside a Derby garage are helping to keep street drinkers away from the area, according to police.

The spikes were put along a low wall outside Rinkway (Mr Tyre), on the corner of Normanton Road and Hartington Street, in September after reports of anti-social behaviour.

Since then, the majority of street drinkers have dispersed and moved away from outside, although police are still having to tackle the problem on a daily basis.

Ian Reid, area manager for Mr Tyre, which owns Rinkway, said: "It has been a great success and we think there has been a 90 per cent reduction in the number of street drinkers congregating outside our premises at various times.

"The workers there were having to clear up outside each morning from where these people had thrown empty drink cans and rubbish.

"But this isn't happening now, which we are really pleased about."

PC Carl Anderson is part of the on-going Operation Gershwin, which was set up to tackle street drinking in Normanton.

He said: "We probably have a hard core of somewhere between 10 and 15 offenders who we are still dealing with most days in the area.

"We have a variety of methods put in place to tackle them which are working and generally we are seeing fewer of them.

"The studs that Rinkway put up have moved them away from outside which has been a great success for them.

"But these people will move on to other areas and we are constantly looking at ways in which to combat the anti-social behaviour that follows them around."

PC Anderson said one group they were dealing with is a gang of six homeless Polish street drinkers who gather in the area and sleep rough, often in Arboretum Park.

He said: "They do not generally cause that much trouble to us or the local people so in their case it is more about speaking to them and educating them about what they can and cannot do.

"But others come into the area from other parts of Derby as their friends still live here in Normanton."

A designated public protection order was earlier this year put in place in parts of Normanton.

This bans people from drinking alcohol in the street.

A Section 30 dispersal order was also granted which means officers can confiscate booze from street drinkers and force them to move out of the area.

And now officers involved in Operation Gershwin have eight anti-social behaviour order requests put in on street drinkers which would ban them from the area should magistrates grant them.

Inspector Richard Keene, who is in charge of policing in the area, said: "Tackling street drinking and the associated anti-social behaviour it brings with it is one of our main priorities and we will not tolerate any behaviour that makes people who live and work in the area feel uncomfortable or threatened in any way at all.

"We want to reassure the public we are tackling this problem."

What is the Christmas message?

An opinion poll reported that 88% of people associated Christmas with being happy. Is the message 'Joy to the World'? Or in the immortal words of Noddy Holder belting out Slade's ever popular hit "so here it is, Merry Christmas, everybody's having fun".

In a scientific world we want evidence. The question is always 'is it true?' The evidence seems to contradict the message of joy and fun.

Look at the terrible conflicts across the world. Especially in the land of Jesus' birth. Look at the levels of stress in so many lives. Stress levels that tend to rise at Christmas. Look at the pressures and problems mounting up – debt, pensions, homelessness, young people without jobs.

Many 'modern' people would dismiss any Christian message couched in the traditional terms of peace and joy. Christmas might be time for a rest, a break, seeing family and nothing more. The evidence seems clear. One message is indisputable. Human organisation and systems always struggle against the tide of conflict, corruption, crisis. That is the way of the world. It keeps newspapers and TV in business – reporting the ups and downs.

So what is true? What is the message? There is a famous story from the First World War. On Christmas Day, German and Allied troops declared an informal truce along one part of the front line. They emerged to share some food and drink and to play a game of football. Next day war resumed.

Here was a moment of hope. The instinct of human hearts for peace, for joy, for fun. Human systems will not deliver these things. But human hearts can.

It is no coincidence that the Christmas message is about a baby. Tiny children melt human hearts – they bring something out of each of us – about the preciousness and the possibilities of life.

The Christmas message is about hearts that dare to hope. That is what Christians seek to cultivate by going to church, by following the Christ child. He grew up to make a difference in terms of enabling peace and justice.

This is the truth some of us discovered in our city through the Redfern Commission, which has been in operation over the last six months. Systems and structures are under severe pressure. Cuts in public services as part of the necessary financial stringency. Voluntary and faith groups struggling to respond to new needs and challenges.

The Commission offered a space for conversation between citizens. People from all kinds of contexts came together to share concerns, but more, to share hopes. Hearts that hope can provide new life – new energies and new ways.

This is our opportunity for the coming year. A Christmas spirit of hope, even in a dark world, can provide the light and the direction for working together to create better ways of nurturing young people, making work opportunities available, developing partnerships between businesses and schools or voluntary groups. Increasingly, our capacity not just to cope but to celebrate.

Every heart has the capacity to hope. Christmas encourages us to own this truth and to act on it.

In our city we can each resolve to work more purposefully in this direction – together.

Whether or not you are a believer in the Christ, try to believe in the Christ-mas message. The key to peace and joy and fun is human hearts that dare to hope. Our world needs us to be hopeful each day. The message is not just for Christmas.

SKIPPER Richard Keogh has been backed to show his leadership qualities in Derby County's Championship clash at Burnley today.

Keogh was bitterly disappointed following Derby's defeat by Hull City on Friday – the Rams' first home defeat since they lost to Burnley in September.

Hull's winning goal came from a corner five minutes into the second half when the defender lost his man, Abdoulaye Faye, who headed in.

But Rams manager Nigel Clough says Keogh will lift himself and his team-mates at Turf Moor.

"That is not in question with Richard," Clough added.

"He was frustrated and disappointed with himself, it was his man that just got above him at a corner.

"The corner just dipped over Richard's head. He was an inch away from getting the ball and we think goalkeeper Adam Legzdins as well has got to come and help out in those situations.

"I think we have conceded about three goals from corners this season, which is the best record in the division. So it doesn't happen too often.

"But Richard's disappointment comes from his honesty.

"I thought some of his play and his passing from centre-half against Hull was excellent again.

"We go on about defenders who can have the ball to feet and get things going, he was brilliant in that department.

"He has also got to realise that a lot of the young lads look up to him as captain.

"As disappointed as he is with himself over the goal, he has got to lift everybody now which he will do, no problem at all."

Keogh joined Derby from Coventry City in the summer and he is one of only two players to have started all of the Rams' games this season.

The other is right-back John Brayford.

Young midfielder Will Hughes has featured in every game but one of his appearances was as a substitute in the defeat by Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium in August.

A FLOOD-hit pub was up and running again yesterday – despite being engulfed in water 24 hours earlier.

The Old Crown Inn, in Cavendish Bridge, Shardlow, was washed out on Christmas Eve but the water receded overnight.

It was the second time the pub had been hit by flooding in recent weeks.

Landlady Monique Johns said: "There's a phone box in our car park and on Christmas Eve the water was halfway up it!

"Luckily, overnight the water slowly went down and we managed to open on Christmas Day for two hours. But we're forecast more rain, which is worrying."

Three weeks ago, the pub was swamped and all the stock was lost.

Ms Johns said: "We lost all our fridges and freezers and have only just got it all back.

"If it had got any higher we would have lost it all again.

"Recently, we've been told that if we claim again we might not even get insurance.

"It's terrible. You just watch it come up. There is nothing you can do. People come round and take pictures but they don't seem to realise this is someone's livelihood."

At one point, the water in the pub's cellar was up to knee height.

Ms Johns said: "Last time, we lost all our heating because the boiler was so low.

"The one that has replaced it has been put up much higher so at least we will have heating if nothing else."

Martin Wells, a regular at the Old Crown, lives on a narrow boat in Shardlow Marina and said he was worried about the rain forecast for the coming days.

The 64-year-old said: "Luckily, narrow boats are built to float! But sometimes, getting off the boat across the walkway is tricky because of flooding.

"I've had to wear waders to get back on to solid ground. That's when you realise you're a land-lubber!"

Three Christmas Day flood warnings for Willington, Barrow-upon-Trent and Swarkestone were issued by the Environment Agency.

The Met Office has predicted more rainfall hitting the county tonight and Thursday.

Lynne Hammerton, of Woodshop Lane, Swarkestone, said: "My house was built in the 1800s and I think they knew what they ere doing, as it has never flooded.

"Three weeks ago, the water was much higher than this but it still didn't get in.

"It needs to come up quite a long way before it starts becoming a problem.

"It's not the rain here that we have to be worried about anyway.

"It's what falls further up, that's what affects us."

Christmas Eve saw the peak of rainfall and many roads in south Derbyshire were affected.

Tamworth Road, Sawley, was flooded at the turn-off for Sawley Marina.

Three canoeists went to the rescue after Luke Thomas, 27, got into difficulty as he attempted to drive through the water in his BMW.

He said: "I live in Long Eaton and I've driven through this road before when it's flooded and it's been fine.

"I've only had the car for 18 months and I didn't realise that the air intake is on the bottom instead of the top."

Friends Rob Crowe, Dale Mears and Jennifer Chrines, who had travelled from Nottinghamshire, helped push the vehicle out of the water.

Rob Crowe, 23, from West Bridgford said: "We have been catching the wave on the weir.

"It's great conditions for it but it's cold!"