Reality can hurt. But it still needs facing. Gary Speed, the Bolton Wanderers player-coach, emerged from the visiting team’s dressing-room to speak straight as he admitted that, having failed to beat the only team beneath them in the Premier League table, his club’s season is about avoiding relegation.

For a team who have finished in the top eight for the past four seasons and who are competing in Europe for the second season in three this week, it is time to wake up and smell the coffee. This is a scrap for survival.

“I don’t think the league lies,” Speed said. “Eight games have gone and we have got only five points. Certainly it’s a relegation battle, but you can do one of two things: you can wilt and die or you can roll up your sleeves and work even harder and that’s what we’re going to do.

“It’s so important to take one game at a time, but the likes of the Uefa Cup and the Carling Cup are of less importance when you look at our league position. The priority is the Premier League - and staying in it.”

Derby County, even if they are having to box above their weight, need to ask themselves the same questions. The manner in which they froze as a defensive unit when Nicolas Anelka was offered several invitations to run at them, before scoring with a shot deflected off Dean Leacock, undermined the committed hard work the likes of Stephen Pearson and Kenny Miller, who scored a fine opening goal when converting Steve Howard’s cross-shot, put in all afternoon.

Derby 1 Miller 19

Derby County (4-3-1-2): S Bywater 7 – T Mears 5, D Leacock 5, C Davis 6, J McEveley 4 – M Oakley 4, D Jones 5 (sub: G Barnes 64min 4), E Lewis 5 (sub: G Teale, 84) – S Pearson 8 – K Miller 6, S Howard 5. Substitutes not used: R Earnshaw, A Griffin, D Moore. Booked: Jones, Bywater, McEveley. Next: Reading (a).

Bolton 1 Anelka 32

Bolton Wanderers (4-1-2-3): J Jaaskelainen 7 - J O’Bri-en 5 (sub: D Braaten, 71), A O’Brien 5, A Meïté 5, R Gard-ner 5 – I Campo 6 – G Speed 6, K Nolan 4 – K Davies 4 (sub: C Wilhelmsson 59, 5), N Anelka 6, E-H Diouf 5. Substitutes not used: A Al Habsi, S Giannakopoulos. Booked: J O’Brien, Diouf. Next: Chelsea (h).

Referee: R Styles

Attendance 31,503