Paul Jewell's dismal Derby are now officially the worst team in Premier League history after they blew an early lead to suffer their 28th defeat of the season in a 3-1 loss at Blackburn.

The Rams' latest reversal leaves them stranded on 11 points with just one game to go and means they cannot now overhaul Sunderland's previous record low total of 15 points from two years ago.

Kenny Miller had given the visitors hope of claiming a first win for Jewell at the 25th time of asking when he sprang the offside trap in the 19th minute to shoot the opener past Brad Friedel.

But Rovers' newly-crowned player of the year, Roque Santa Cruz, snatched his side's equaliser deep into first-half injury time and Jason Roberts took advantage of awful defending to net the second two minutes after the break.

By the time Santa Cruz headed his second 12 minutes from time, the Rams' fine start had been long forgotten as they were pinned in their own half and fortunate not to concede many more.

With Rovers rampant in the second half, Santa Cruz could have notched another one when he screwed a close-range effort the wrong side of the left-hand post, while Roberts had spectacular overhead kick superbly saved by the keeper.