Hanging over Pride Park an hour before kick off was a woolly cloud in the perfect form of a legless ram. It was a false sign. Derby were anything but hung over, taking three minutes to break a deadlock that lasted throughout the club's meeting at St James's Park nine days previously. They then went on to win a fractious match against 10 men as David Batty, already starting a two-match suspension yesterday, was sent off for a second bookable challenge beyond the hour. He should be nicely rested for the World Cup.
After a bright start, by Derby at least, the match declined from speedy control to carelessness, from frustration to petulance and seven bookings. Jim Smith, Derby's manager said: "We should have had fours and fives in each of our last three games." They have two noughts and a penalty.
At least they are making chances. Kenny Dalglish's Newcastle, shorn of adventure and prime strikers, have had five nils in their last six games and picked up two points. Yesterday, John Beresford hit the bar with a shot which looped off a defender, but that was all. And straight after Dalglish put on Faustina Asprilla and Temuri Ketsbaia for a possible siege, Batty walked.
After that first match, Dalglish had his Newcastle side back on the pitch for punishment training. Little good it did them, though it did fire them into positive, but fruitless, action against Manchester United in the interim. Newcastle were caught as cold as St Stephen's Day turkey.
Inside 10 seconds, Stuart Pearce brought down Dean Sturridge with a tackle. It was so early in the match that he escaped a booking, though he got one eventually. His season of good will clearly lasted 24 hours.
Sturridge exacted swift revenge. Paulo Wanchope put him through, Des Hamilton challenged, Sturridge went down, Steano Eranio converted. Verdicts differed. "A certain penalty," said Smith. "Never touched him," said Dalglish. Managers will be managers. Smith was right: Derby should have made more of their chances. However, Newcastle created nothing at all. If their defence was Ram-parted, their attack was Ram-shackled by the sweeping command of Igor Stimac alongside Dean Yates. Dalglish looks lost for a sign - even in the clouds.
