As he had done with Hamburg in the Bundesliga, US starlet Benny Feilhaber enjoyed a victorious Premiership bow with Derby County in a 1-0 Monday night football decision over Newcastle in front of the largest crowd in almost five years at Pride Park.

Though the midfielder joined starter Eddie Lewis in the 79th minute, the man he replaced - Kenny Miller - had the debut that the morning papers will rave about after scooping a special lob shot home late in the opening stanza for the win.

Steve Howard threatened early for the hosts, with a first minute shot put out for a corner and a high header on the resulting restart.

The Magpies should have jumped ahead in the 18th minute, but David Rozenhal somehow managed to miss a wide open net. Michael Owen ran in on the keeper, but rounded Stephen Bywater at too sharp an angle and his cutback was stunningly misfired by the Czech Republic international.

With eight minutes until halftime, Bywater was forced into a fine save by Geremi's swerving free kick, then started the play that saw Miller put Derby ahead to stay. The netminder's long kick was flicked through to the former Celtic forward by Howard, and the new signing deposited a 30-meter over a creeping Steven Harper.

Just after intermission, Howard narrowly missed kissing a Lewis corner kick into the net. It was the last attack of real note until former Newcastle man Andy Griffin whistled a log drive just wide at the hour.

Howard went close on another pair of headers before Feilhaber took the field with 11 minutes to play. Near time, the American played in Griffin, who failed to finish off the play with a goal.

Scoring
DC - Kenny Miller 1 (Steve Howard) 37'

Line-ups

DC - Stephen Bywater; Tyrone Mears, Dean Leacock, Claude Davis, Andy Griffin, Gary Teale, Stephen Pearson, Eddie Lewis (James McEveley 86'), Kenny Miller (Benny Feilhaber 79'), Steve Howard, Matt Oakley

NU - Steve Harper; Steven Taylor (Habib Beye 74'), Cacapa, David Rozehnal, Charles N'Zogbia, Alan Smith, Nicky Butt, Geremi (Abdoulaye Faye 60'), James Milner, Shola Ameobi, Michael Owen (Obafemi Martins 54')