Derby 3-1 Leeds

Derby halted Leeds' revival and stretched their unbeaten home run in the Championship to seven matches thanks to second-half goals from Jake Buxton and Ben Davies. Defender Buxton deflected home a shot from fellow defender Richard Keogh in the 66th minute with the score at 1-1 and Derby withstood a late barrage before substitute Davies finished superbly on the break in the fourth minute of time added on. Leeds midfielder Paul Green cancelled out Conor Sammon's 15th-minute opener for Derby on the stroke of half-time and after Buxton's close-range effort the home side held on with Davies rubber-stamping their sixth league win of the season at Pride Park.Leeds, who had won their previous three matches, hit the post via Tom Lees' late header and will feel aggrieved not to have been awarded a last-minute penalty when Green went tumbling under a challenge from Will Hughes. Derby, unchanged from the side that lost 4-1 at Leicester last week, took the lead when Hughes pulled the ball back across the face of goal from the left into the path of Sammon, who drove home a low shot from 12 yards for his fifth goal of the season. Leeds goalkeeper Paddy Kenny pulled off a fine fingertip save to keep out Theo Robinson's snapshot from close range in the 24th minute and denied the same player from 30 yards soon after as Derby took control. Leeds, who recalled winger Ryan Hall in place of the injured Jerome Thomas, did not threaten Adam Legzdins in the Derby goal again until midfielder Michael Tonge's 25-yard effort, which was blocked by Derby defender Richard Keogh in the 36th minute. But the visitors went in level at the break thanks to Green's strike against his former club on the stroke of half-time. Leeds striker Luciano Becchio played the ball inside the penalty area and Green applied a neat low finish into the bottom corner. Leeds pegged the hosts back in their own half after the restart. McCormack's shot from inside the area was well held by Legzdins and the Scot pulled another effort from a similar position wide. Derby midfielder Michael Jacobs then acrobatically kept out Hall's goalbound shot at the other end.Derby midfielder Hughes tricked his way into the area before unleashing a shot destined for the top corner, only for Kenny to save at full stretch. Robinson's goalbound header was blocked by Leeds defender Lees, but the visitors failed to clear the resulting corner and Keogh's low shot was sidefooted home by Buxton. Leeds went close to a rapid equaliser when David Norris connected sweetly with the ball from 20 yards, but Legzdins was equal to it, and when Lees beat the Rams keeper with a header from substitute El-Hadji Diouf's superb cross, the ball came back off the inside of the post and was hacked clear. Diouf's thumping drive from 20 yards then whistled past the post as Leeds pushed for an equaliser before Davies, an 82nd-minute replacement for Robinson, curled home a fine 94th-minute effort for Derby after a swift counter-attack.

Derby Close to White Signing

 {EAV:c1bd42a8c22c5c17}  Derby County are closing in on the signing of Leeds defender Aidy White .White’s Elland Road contract has expired , with the 20-year-old failing to agree a new deal with his boyhood club and free to speak to rivals.Leeds do retain the right to compensation due to their former youth-team player being under the age of 24.A number of Premier League sides have been linked with a move for White, while Scottish champions Celtic have also been credited with holding an interest in the 20-year-old.

Paul Green Joins Leeeds

Derby County midfielder Paul Green has agreed a deal to join Leeds United on July 1. The 29-year-old has agreed a two-year contract and will formally join up with the club at the start of next month. Paul follows Adam Drury and Jason Pearce into the club as Neil Warnock's summer recruitment drive steps up a gear and becomes the club's third signing of the summer. The Republic of Ireland international, Paul came on as a substitute in the Euro 2012 game against Spain last week, has a wealth of experience and joins the club after making over 140 appearances for Derby County following a four-year stint at Pride Park. Ironically, the Pontefract-born midfielder joined Derby from Doncaster, his final appearance for Rovers coming in the 2008 League One Play-Off final against Leeds at Wembley. United boss Neil Warnock said: "Paul is another player I've been after for a long time, but obviously he was called up by Ireland for the European Championships so we've had to be a bit patient. "I've seen him grow from his days at Doncaster and I'm delighted to have him here. "I've always thought that he is a player who can create goals as well as score them, and he has just the type of attitude we need at Elland Road."

Leeds Chasing Derby Striker

Leeds United are rumoured to have made a move for transfer listed Derby striker Steve Davies.Leeds are believed to have tabled a bid of around £400,000 well short of Derby's £1m valuation of the player.The 24-year-old striker was offered a new three-year deal following conclusion of the 2011-12 season, in which he scored 12 goals and finished joint-top goalscorer.However due to family circumstances, Davies made the decision to turn down the offer.Subsequently he has been made available for transfer.He remains under contract with Derby until the summer of 2013 after the Club took up the option to extend his contract by a further year.The promising forward can operate as a centre forward, a lone striker and also in an attacking midfield role.His Derby career has been stop-start due to injuries, but when Davies has been fit his ability and potential has never come into any doubt.After returning early for pre-season training in 2010 he was unfortunate to suffer a cruciate ligament injury that ruled him for six months, but he returned to be available for every game in the second half of the season.He began the 2011-12 npower Championship in fine form, netting five goals in 10 games, before injury struck. The Liverpudlian was ruled out for almost four months after suffering a fractured skull in the side's 1-1 home draw with Southampton in October. After undergoing surgery he made a full recovery and returned to action during the closing months of the campaign, scoring five times during March.Derby boss Nigel Clough said: "There's no falling out with Steven, no disagreement about money, no lack of ambition by the Club or anything like that. He has genuine reason why he has turned the offer down and it's one that we accept and understand."People might be sceptical about this news but we completely respect Steven's decision. He's available for transfer and if a bid comes in which matches our valuation, then we'll move on and wish Steven and his family all the very best."
It is believed Leeds made a move for the player as their leading goalscorer Ross McCormack contract talks have stalled ,and he looks set to exit the club during the summer with several Premiership clubs showing interest.

Derby v Leeds MATCH PREVIEW

Derby County are assessing the fitness of defender Dean Leacock, who suffered cramp during his comeback from injury against Coventry on Saturday.Left-back Gareth Roberts is still out with a knee problem, but Russell Anderson and Miles Addison are options for boss Nigel Clough.Leeds pair George McCartney and Sanchez Watt are both in contention to return.Midfielders Barry Bannan and Neil Kilkenny are pushing for recalls to the starting line-up.Leeds' bid for a second successive promotion and a return to the top flight suffered a setback when they were beaten 3-2 by play-off rivals Millwall in a thrilling match on Saturday.
That was Leeds' second defeat in three games and saw Simon Grayson's men slip to sixth in the table, but they are still four points better off than Millwall, who are seventh.With 75 goals scored this season, Leeds are also the Championship's top scorers, and have proved their doubters wrong by sustaining a promotion challenge. The same cannot be said of Derby, who were fourth in December but have slumped towards the relegation zone with a disastrous run of only three wins in 22 league games.The Rams have won only one of their last seven, but took a big step towards safety by coming back from two-down to salvage a draw against Coventry. They are eight points above the drop zone, giving them some breathing space with six games remaining.