Derby’s loss to Swansea made it 4 losses in 5 for the Rams and left the club precariously close to the drop zone.  Add to that the unbelievable rise of arch-rivals Nottingham Forest and it has been a difficult few weeks for Derby fans.  Nigel Clough attempted to address Derby’s downfall by bolstering the front-line with the loan signing of DJ Campbell in mid-week as the Ram hoped to put an end to their unpleasant run.

Jobi McAnuff almost spelt disaster for the Rams in the opening minutes as the ex-Watford man fashioned a chance out of nothing from 25 yards that just missed the left post.  Derby’s first chance fell to to in-form striker Rob Hulse who fired a header straight into the arms of Federici.  Jay McEveley shot just wide just before the break to put an end to a half fairly bereft of chances; ultimately paying testament to the struggling forms of both clubs.

Brendan Rodgers half-time team talk had an immediate impact as Reading opened the second half with a goal.  A misplaced pass from Shaun Barker put Derby on the back foot and Jay Tabb found Sigurdsson on the edge of the area to squeeze home the opener.  Derby response marked the confidence of team much higher than their league position suggests as the Rams tied the game within just 4 minutes.  Gary Teale capped off a fast-paced Derby break with a sumptuous cross across the box that was duly converted by Paul Green; his second of the campaign.  Derby’s winner took an almost identical form; defender Jay McEveley providing the cross this time for Rob Hulse to slide home.  Reading did try and mount a comeback, Shaun Barker atoned for his earlier misdeeds with a last ditch block late on and McAnuff shot just wide.  However, their fate was compounded with the sending off of Shane Long late on following an ugly lunge on Derby loanee Fredrik Stoor.

Derby enter the important Christmas fixture list on the back of a promising victory; not only has the Rams impressive home form continued but the team looks rejuvenated with the return from injury of midfield duo Paul Green and Stephen Pearson.  Add to that the on loan signing of DJ Campbell and hopefully Derby fans may have a reason for some Christmas cheer this holiday season.  Still, Pride Park hosts free scoring West Brom on Saturday which will undoubtedly be the Rams biggest test at home this season.

Sheffield Wednesday probably fancied their chances upon their visit to Pride Park; the Rams had only managed to muster up three points from the previous six games, a run of form that can only be described as abysmal. Football however is an unpredictable game and despite capitulating midweek at Cardiff the Rams side which turned out today were a formidable force that returned an emphatic victory against their South Yorkshire visitors.

Derby’s side still ravaged by the injury plague affecting the club saw two changes from the side defeated so heavily at Cardiff; veteran striker Paul Dickov made his first start for the club, and Jay McEveley returned to action as a make shift centre back.

The Rams looked sharp right from the off, playing smart effective football. Rob Hulse came close twice within the first ten minutes; raging past the offside trap latching onto the through ball Livermore only to see Darren Purse get back in time to remove the danger, and then a header that with some more power may well have had the ex-Ram Lee Grant beaten in the Owl’s goal.

Derby’s positive play was rewarded on the 17^th minute. Paul Dickov showed his experience in the Wednesday box by shrugging off his marker with a deft turn before crossing to the unmarked Croft whose volley crashed off the underside of the bar and into the net.

Derby should have been two up just minutes later as Dean Moxey beat the defence only to fire his shot wide of far post.

The Rams looked confident going forward but also seemed able to soak up the Wednesday pressure at the back; surviving several attacks and a goal mouth scramble which ultimately resulted James O’Connor firing wide.

Derby doubled their lead just after the hour mark with an excellent shot from the charging Jay McEveley.  The centre back surprised everybody as he sprinted the length of the pitch to latch onto a ball from Lee Croft on the edge of the Wednesday box.

Victory was sealed by an injury time penalty converted by Rob Hulse; the Derby striker had been bundled down inside the box by Wood leaving the referee with no choice but to award a penalty to the Rams.

The importance of this win cannot be underestimated; as well putting the ghosts of recent weeks to bed, it sent the Rams into the international break on a high. Derby return to action in two weeks with a crunch tie at the Crisp Bowl.

The outlook for Derby’s first visit to the Cardiff City stadium seemed bright.  The victory against Bristol City on Saturday brought a welcoming halt to Derby’s concerning run of defeats.  Whilst the Rams looked wasteful in the final third, the centre half pairing of Shaun Barker and Dean Leacock seemed solid, bringing a defensive confidence so evidently absent in the previous two seasons.  Add to that Cardiff City’s recent poor form and lack of goals from striker Michael Chopra and Derby fans would have been forgiven for perhaps expecting a rare haul of 3 points on the road.

It wasn’t long before the newfound optimism was cruelly brought back to reality, as Derby began poorly.  The Derby back four played a poorly timed offside trap and Peter Whittingham took advantage, stroking the ball home from just a few yards out.  Things soon went from bad to worse, as Derby’s promising central defensive partnership was broken as Dean Leacock was replaced on the 30^th minute with a tight hamstring.  Jay McEveley, Leacock’s replacement, suffered a baptism of fire as Michael Chopra put the Bluebirds up by 2 soon after, slotting in after a sumptuous ball from wide left.

As the second half began Derby looked set to mount a come back; Rob Hulse pulling one back against the run of play.  The Rams striker beat Mark Hudson to a cross and toe-poked the ball past Cardiff keeper Marshall.  The comeback was quickly quashed as Derby capitulated under the constant pressure of Cardiff striker Michael Chopra.  Chopra made it 3-1 soon after, dashing through a gaping hole in Derby’s defence to squeeze the ball home.  Cardiff fans were still celebrating when Chopra completed his hatrick, benefitting off some woeful marking from Shaun Barker and exquisitely chipping the ball over Bywater.  Dean Moxey was to blame for the fifth; the promising youngster looked completely out of sorts throughout the entire match and his poor marking lead to Chris Burke inflicting further embarrassment.  Chopra still hadn’t finished though, he added his fourth late on.  Jay McEveley was at fault this time, Chopra turning the Derby defender unchallenged and finishing with utmost poise.

Nigel Clough recently appeared on Radio Derby on the back of Derby’s run of 4 defeats.  Press and fans alike were quick to lavish Clough with praise, highlighting his defiant approach and bravery in answering the calls of his critics, an attribute many managers notably lack.  The Bristol City result seemed to finally signal that Derby had turned the proverbial corner and all seemed rosy in the Derby camp.  This proved to be short lived and both the embarrassing score line and appalling performance left Derby fans humiliated.  Whilst perhaps the Middlesbrough defeat at home to West Brom stands to be spare Derby’s blushes for the worst defeat in this championship season so far, fans may feel increasingly apprehensive as Derby hang precariously above the gaping jaws of the relegation zone.  Many level headed fans will be keen to stress composure and perspective, but that is a difficult skill sect to possess given the similarity of manner of this defeat and the painful memories of our last ill fated Premier League season.  Whilst fans calling for Nigel’s head will remain firmly in the minority for the time being, Nigel’s injury ravaged Derby side need to put on a resolute display at home on Saturday, against high fliers Sheffield Wednesday, to silence the ever-growing doubters.

 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.