Derby County vs Bristol Rovers. Sky Bet League One.
Pride Park StadiumAttendance27,841.
Saturday 29 October 2022 19:01, UK
David McGoldrick scored a first-half hat-trick as Derby celebrated a 4-2 League One win that ended Bristol Rovers' six-match unbeaten league run.
Derby cut Rovers open in just the fifth minute when Nathaniel Mendez-Laing forced an error and played in McGoldrick, who scored with a low shot from outside the area.
James Collins made it two at the back post after 12 minutes when Haydon Roberts headed on a Conor Hourihane corner and McGoldrick hooked in his second goal of the match after 24 minutes from another Mendez-Laing assist.
Rovers responded in the 35th minute when Bobby Thomas scored from close range after Derby failed to clear a free-kick but McGoldrick completed his treble five minutes later when he bent a shot across James Belshaw and the ball went in off the goalkeeper's left post.
But Rovers struck in first-half stoppage-time when Antony Evans converted a penalty after Eiran Cashin tripped Josh Coburn.
Rovers kept fighting and Scott Sinclair almost pulled another back on the hour but the damage was done in the opening 45 minutes.
