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Derby beat Addicks to Assure Survival

Saturday 25 April, 2009 in In Brief

Derby County 1 Charlton Athletic 0 

Another season of Championship football was finally assured for the Rams after this determined victory against already relegated Charlton. 

The first half of this affair highlighted all the reasons why these two teams have both languished in the lower half of the table for much of the season.  The problem lay not in the amount of chances created by either team, but instead in their inability to capitalise upon their efforts. 

Kris Common’s claimed the best of Derby’s chances during the first half coming closest around the 20 minute mark, when a darting run from midfield opened up the opportunity for a shot. Whilst on previous occasions the Scotland international has managed to burst the back of the net from this distance, his attempt this time fell agonisingly wide. 

The second half started much brighter than the first.  Newly crowned player of the season Rob Hulse came tantalisingly close twice, and similar chances were had through Albrechtsen and Commons. It was clear that the Rams could sense that victory was in their grasp and with it mathematical safety. 

All the pressure on display at Pride Park today, was released by a Rob Hulse goal on 70 minutes. Gary Teale’s corner was cleared but only as far as Bannan who returned it back in to the box to be headed in by Hulse. 

With the season now all but over, the Ram’s can finally begin to look towards August and the start of the new Clough era in earnest.

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Rams Royally Rumbled

Tuesday 21 April, 2009 in Campaign

Derby County 0 Reading 2 

Derby once again failed to achieve mathematical safety, leaving it instead until the penultimate weekend of the season for another chance to seal the deal. 

To say that Reading rattled Derby’s cage during the opening stages of the game would be the understatement of the season. The ball found its way to the back of Derby’s net no less than three times during the first half, however fortunately for the Rams each time defensive errors went unpunished as each goal was ruled out for offside. 

After these defensive blips the first half turned into an open game of football with both teams creating good chances.  Derby came closest eight minutes from the end of the half when a Kris Commons shot was deflected just beyond the Reading post by Duberry.

 

The second half started much like the first had finished, with both sides creating chances.  As expected though it was reading who took the first goal; a deft Kitson header from the cross of Kebe. 

Hulse almost responded immediately for the Ram’s but was unable get enough power on his header to beat Hahnemann. 

Reading proved to be too much for Derby to cope with, as highlighted when on 72 minutes a long ball fed Shane Long in to score their second of the game, and ultimately seal the three points. 

If Derby are unable to gather the necessary points for survival at home to Charlton this coming Saturday, they will be hoping that Reading can repeat tonight’s performance against Norwich on Monday, where a draw for the Royals will be enough to put Derby’s season to bed.

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Derby Left Empty Handed After Palace Trip

Saturday 18 April, 2009 in Campaign

Crystal Palace 1 Derby County 0 

Derby were left ruing missed chances as they left South London still two points short of assured mathematical safety. 

However if this was playing on the minds of the Derby players then it certainly didn’t show.  This tie had end-of-season-kick-around written all over it, and that is exactly how it was played. 

The first half produced little play of note, with its most significant moment coming in the opening seconds of the match when Nick Carle took Savage out with a late challenge. 

Derby’s best chance of the half came in its dying seconds; Pearson out on the wing, spotted Hulse waiting to pounce in the box, however his pull back to him was hit just behind the Derby hotshot and the danger soon passed. 

The second half brought a little spice to the proceedings. On the hour mark Victor Moses caught Sterjovski in a bad tackle, and having already seen yellow for a dive the referee was left with little choice but to dismiss the Palace player. 

Playing against ten men the advantage was supposed to be with the Rams, but only three minutes after the sending off Palace were one up. 

Kuqi having been played through the offside trap by Clint Hill all too easily, deftly chipped over Bywater to score what was ultimately to be the match winner. 

Derby did push forward towards the end of the game, and actually had the ball in the back of the net at one point through Tito Villa, however the offside flag ruled the goal out.

 

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Rams Throw Away Lead Against Wolves

Monday 13 April, 2009 in Campaign

Derby County 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3

 In the second game of Derby’s Easter doubleheader the Rams squandered a 2-1 lead against the league leaders to ultimately lose the game 3-2. 

The game did not get off to the best of starts for the Rams, who after only 6 minutes found themselves a goal behind.  Andy Keogh struck an impressive volley past Bywater after shrugging off Albrechtsen; whilst the Dane may count himself unlucky not to have the shove considered a foul, questions must be asked as to how he was shoved off the ball so easily. 

Thankfully the Rams began to pick up form after this early episode.  Making his first start for the Rams since the arrival of Clough, the on loan Przemyslaw Kazmierczak was at the heart of Derby’s best attacking play.  His perseverance was finally rewarded on the half hour mark when his 25yard free-kick hit the back of the net showing some of the magic Rams fans expected when he joined from Porto in the summer. 

Unfortunately for Derby a mid-game injury crisis meant that neither Kazmierczak nor McEveley were to play any part in the second half.   The Rams refused to let this affect their play and came out from the break fighting.  Within minutes Hulse found himself denied twice from close range. 

Derby’s attacking play paid off just 10 minutes into the half; in a smart piece of play Commons pulled a corner back to the unmarked Sterjovski who volleyed home from 15 yards. 

At this point it should have been game over, but the Rams defensive frailties that have repeatedly shown their face of late were determined to unravel the previous hour’s good work. 

On 74 minutes Derby struggled to deal with a Reid cross into the box, their inability to clear the ball was punished clinically by Jarvis who fired into the goal from close range. 

Derby were caught out again 4 minutes from time.  On the counter attack Wolves charged forward down the right, Marlon Harewood was able to put in a cross which was met by Andy Keogh who headed home from close range for his second of the game and ultimately the winner. 

The Rams were left with no one to blame for the defeat but themselves; having fought so hard to gain the lead against the league leaders in first place, it makes it all the more difficult to watch them then throw it away to goals which even the most basic defensive practices should have kept out.

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Rams Gather Vital Points At Hillsborough

Saturday 11 April, 2009 in Fixtures, In Brief

Sheffield Wednesday 0 Derby County 1

This Easter visit to Hillsborough saw the Rams finally pass the magical 50 point barrier as they took one giant leap towards finally sewing up Championship football for next season.

The Derby side fielded today had a different feel about it, with the most noticeable absence being the rested Robbie Savage. The Rams’ keen to avoid the midweek thrashing at Cardiff bogging down their performance made an impressive start to the game.

Derby created a number of early chances keeping former Ram, Lee Grant busy. In the early stages of the game Hulse and Teale came closest for the Rams however arguably the most spectacular chance fell to Darren Potter whose free-kick for Wednesday stung the cross-bar leaving the Rams counting their luck.

As the first half was approaching its death Rob Hulse appeared to head home Gary Teale’s excellent free-kick.

Having entered half-time with the lead, the Rams emerged knowing that all they had to do was maintain a clean sheet.

For virtually the entire second half Sheffield Wednesday piled on the pressure, however despite Tudgay and Esajas both impressing they were unable to turn these opportunities.

By the end of the ninety minutes Derby’s play was beginning to appear increasingly scrappy but unlike previous games the Rams’ back line stood strong and held on for that all important victory.

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Rams Thrashed By Soaring Bluebirds

Wednesday 8 April, 2009 in Fixtures, In Brief

Cardiff City 4 Derby County 1 

Derby’s midweek visit to Ninian Park was the result of the previous tie being postponed due to the weather; after ninety minutes many Derby were left hoping once again for some divine intervention. 

Out of the blocks it was the Rams who created the best chances, with John Eustace twice making a nuisance of himself amongst the Bluebirds’ defence, but as Derby’s luck goes this season it was Cardiff who struck first. On 16 minutes Roger Johnson rose to head Peter Whittingham’s free-kick past a helpless Bywater. 

With a goal behind them Cardiff finally began to pick up the pace and challenged Derby on effort.  Throughout the rest of the half both sides posed threats, but both were able to soak up the others pressure. 

Like the first half it took Cardiff 16 minutes from the restart to find the net again. Gavin Rae was able to roll the ball home after latching on to the perfectly weighted through ball of Stephen McPhail.

 

With Derby’s defence now crumbling badly it took only two minutes before Jay Boothroyd reacted quickest from a Whittingham corner to made it 3 for the Bluebirds and effectively sealed up the three points. 

In a telling substitution Clough acted swiftly to replace Albrechtsen with Todd, whilst the Dane may have offered the Rams a rock on which to build their defence in earlier parts of the season in recent games he has increasingly become a liability. 

The presence of Todd however was not enough to stop the rot, and with eleven minutes left on the clock former Derby target and Kansas City Wizard Eddie Johnson stole the ball from the experienced Derby defender before tucking the ball neatly into the net. 

An Eddie Johnson own goal late into injury time offered little consolation for a Rams side who had once again had its defensive frailties ripped open for all to see. 

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