Derby County 0 - 1 Leeds United

	O'Leary: Says Fowler will make the World Cup (RossKinnaird/Allsport)

It had not looked good for Fowler 20 minutes into the game when the £11 million ex-Liverpool striker limped disconsolately to the dressing room in some pain after twisting awkwardly in an attempt to keep the ball in play near the halfway line.

A jarred hip was the diagnosis but it was not serious enough to add Fowler to the list of names, including David Beckham and Gary Neville, whom Sven Goran Eriksson must fret over in the next few weeks.

'I think he's OK,' said a relieved O'Leary after the match. 'I think he's jarred his hip but there's nothing for England or ourselves to worry about. I haven't been told that he needs to go to hospital or must have a scan and there's another two weeks before we have a game.'

O'Leary will gladly send his talented goalscorer off to Japan and Korea in the hope that he makes a valuable contribution to his country's cause. Yet he admitted to selfish reasons for welcoming Eriksson's decision to exclude Lee Bowyer from the squad.

O'Leary declined to become involved in the controversy over his abrasive midfielder's omission except to give thanks for having a fresher player at the start of next season.

'I don't want to say anything about Lee being left out,' said O'Leary, 'but I hope he has a good summer break because that will help us. From a selfish point of view I'd be delighted if none of my players went to the World Cup.'

Bowyer showed what England will be missing with the decisive goal from a surging run which was so typical of his game. As Alan Smith hooked the ball over his shoulder Bowyer was sprinting beyond Derby's back four before coolly lifting the ball over Mart Poom as he advanced from goal.

Had his colleagues shown similar composure they would have won far more comfortably against an outclassed Derby side suffering a seventh successive Premiership defeat which proves they are certainly bad enough to go down.

But Robbie Keane, Fowler's replacement, sidefooted wide when it seemed easier to score and Smith struck a post after dribbling around Poom. Between these misses the Estonian goalkeeper made outstanding saves from Harry Kewell, showing signs of returning to his best, and the irrepressible Bowyer.

Derby in their final Premiership match at Pride Park for the fore-seeable future went out with what John Gregory conceded was ' a whimper rather than a bang'.

'The first half was like a testimonial and I wasn't happy,' lamented the Derby manager. 'I had to rely on youngsters coming on in the second half to lift the game and that says a lot about the state of this club. I can't wait for the summer to come so I can move us on.'

Gregory knows that he faces a difficult task because the young players he wants to keep, such as player-of-the-season Danny Higginbotham, Chris Riggott and Malcolm Christie, are the only ones other clubs are interested in buying.

'Nobody has shown any interest in the players I'd like to get shot of,' said Gregory, 'and we may have to rely on the same players next season to get us out of the Nationwide League.'