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.

While Derby’s league campaign has had mixed results, the League Cup was a completely different affair. Derby haven’t reached the quarter finals of the league cup in 20 odd years so they had already exceeded expectations. It was now time to step it up a gear against Premiership side, Stoke City – and on away turf as well.

The first half had little to talk about. The only highlight was a disallowed goal from Richard Creswell due to a handball.

Both teams stepped it up a gear after the break though.

Kris Commons and Miles Addison both rattled the woodwork while Stoke’s Ricardo Fuller was denied the other end of the pitch thanks to an amazing save from Roy Carroll.

It was in the fourth minute of injury time when Andy Griffin handballed Przemyslaw Kazmierczak’s cross, forcing referee Rob Styles to reward Derby a penalty. Nathan Ellington accepted duty and smoothly rolled the ball past Stoke’s Steve Simonsen, progressing Derby through to the semi-finals.

Derby haven’t beaten a Premiership team in 25 games since Paul Jewell took the management post, so you can imagine the adilation he was feeling.

Derby are now in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup, the furthest they have ever been in the League Cup in 40 years.

After thrashing Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 last week, Derby were adamant to continue their impressive form on their second trip across the country top Ipswich.

Pablo Counago knocked in a low shot for Ipswich in the 27th minute, putting the home side in the lead for the first half, with both sides trying hard but failing to hit the back of the net for the first hour.

Przemyslaw Kazmierczak nearly equalised for Derby with a fine header but Ipswich keeper Richard Wright managed to tip it over the bar.

It was Jonathan Walters who finished the game off with his second goal of the season, giving Ipswich all three points while closing the gap on the top six.

Let’s hope for a better result in the week against Preston.

Derby’s Carling Cup campaign has gone from strength to strength after a delayed schedule the other month so the long awaited journey to Brighton certainly had high expectations.

After 28 minutes, Emmanuel Villa commenced his show-stopping performance with the opening goal after John Sullivan struggled to hold Przemyslaw Kazmierczak‘s cross.

Nathan Ellington followed up with another after 6 minutes, connecting with Dean Leacock‘s cross.

Brighton restored some confidence before the break though when Tommy Elphick headed in a consolation goal taking the half-time score to 1-2.

Brighton showed a lot of confidence throughout the second half but struggled to find an equaliser.

Instead, man of the match Emmanuel Villa took Derby 3-1 up in the 73rd minute before sealing the deal 3 minutes from time with a tidy little 6-yarder.

Derby will now host the 4th round tie against Leeds on Tuesday 11th November at Pride Park, intending on progressing to the 5th round for the first time in decades.

When Derby travelled across the Norfolk Broads to play Norwich last month, they managed to pull it out the bag and beat the home side 2-1. So the return leg was bound to be interesting with Norwich playing so well and Derby only managing a 1-1 draw at Coventry at the weekend.

Paul Green opened the preceedings with a relatively poor effort but Rob Hulse followed up connecting with yet another fine cross from Kris Commons, whacking the ball in the back of the net to take Derby two up in the first half.

Another effort from Hulse was denied by the bar after the break but it was John Kennedy who threw Norwich a life line when he managed to head in a cross from Sammy Clingan to take the score to 2-1.

This was enough to give Norwich some confidence and it showed throughout the second half, especially when Leroy Lita knocked it wide, almost putting the scores level.

But it was Przemyslaw Kazmierczak who finished the game off with a fine goal to give Derby their fifth win of the season.

Derby travelled to South Yorkshire feeling confident after progressing to the third round of the Carling League Cup earlier in the week but an adamant Barnsley team stole all three points from a game that both teams were despereate to win.

The Rams put on a tough fight, showing power and devotion throughout, challenging the homeside with plenty of opportunities from Paul Green, Kris Commons, Przemyslaw Kazmierczak and Tito Villa.

It was in the last twenty minutes of the game when Iain Hume slammed in a top-notch 20-yard effort and Stephen Foster converted a corner in the 81st minute to take the home side into a comfortable and flattering 2-0 lead.

Derby have now gone 39 games without a win, a frankly embarrassing record in the football league, so its probably a blessing in disguise we now have a few weeks break during the international qualifiers for World Cup 2010 in South Africa.

No doubt a gutted Paul Jewell will be pushing our boys through an intensive training session for our next game against Sheffield United.