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.

Derby came in to Friday’s game in a run of dismal form: as if 3 straight defeats were not bad enough, the Rams became the first unfortunate victims to fall to Roy Keane’s much-maligned Ipswich Town.  Despite the recent lack of success, Derby fans had some optimism in the return to fitness of frontman Rob Hulse and midfielders Stephen Pearson and Paul Green.

Derby got off to the worst possible start as Chris Coleman’s men quickly punished some sloppy Rams defending.  Leon Best was first to react to a poor Bywater punch to volley a left footed shot drive into the net just before the 5 minute mark.  Derby fashioned the better of the other first half chances, Dean Leacock and Rob Hulse both firing just wide of the target.  Derby also had a strong penalty claim turned down as Shaun Barker was chopped down in the box.  Derby’s bad luck was compounded just before the break as on loan striker Paul Dickov astonishingly fired over from 6 yards out.

Dickov promptly atoned for his mistake however turning provider just after the restart.  Dickov curled over a sumptuous ball from the left finding Rob Hulse with space between the Coventry centre backs; Hulse made no mistake and placed the ball smartly past Konstantopoulos.  Derby completed the turnaround with some impressive play again by the forward partnership.  Paul Dickov chased what seemed like a lost cause before producing a remarkable ball from wide right that was driven in by Hulse.  The second half was not without controversy however as Coventry right back Jordan Clarke picked up a sending off following a challenge on Robbie Savage.  Replays showed little contact and some Oscar worthy theatrics from the Derby captain.  In the final stages Hulse was denied his hatrick following a penalty miss after Lee Croft was brought down In the box.

Whilst Derby fans may have felt disappointed with the lack of endeavour shown in the first half, the Rams showed a resilience in the second half notably lacking in recent defeats.  Whilst the team still looks uncomfortable at the back and often fail to retain possession with an array misplaced passes, fans can take heart in a much needed 3 points that see the Rams edge closer away from the drop zone.  Much optimism can also be found in the budding partnership of veteran Dickov and current fans player of the year Rob Hulse and the two look set to retain their places as the Rams travel to Swansea on the 20^th November.

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.

Derby came into this game off the back of four consecutive defeats; a positive result was imperative. In true Derby style, the Rams refused to do things the simple way, and instead took the 27,000 strong Pride Park crowd on an 85 minute rollercoaster ride of missed opportunities.

The Pride Park heart attacks began in just the second minute; City forced Derby back into their own box, allowing Costa Rican striker Álvaro Saborío a header at close range. Luckily for the Rams, the new defensive partnership of Leacock and Barker were able to block the ball sufficiently for Bywater to come out on top of the goal mouth scramble that ensued.

The first half continued with neither side looking particularly keen to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. Orr and Sno both shot worryingly wide from just outside of the penalty box for City, but the visitors were unable to make much headway beyond that.

The second half marked what was probably the most exciting 45 minutes of football at Pride Park this season. The Rams shot out of blocks with debutant James Vaughan pushing hard for his first Derby goal but was ultimately matched by City keeper Basso.

The excitement really began just after the 50 minute mark as Rob Hulse was wrestled to the ground by Bristol captain McCombe.  Hulse appeared to throw the ball at McCombe’s feet; as the two stood up they came face to face and in a theatrical performance worthy of a part in a West End play McCombe threw himself backwards in an attempt to get the Derby man sent off for a head butt.  The two never made contact. The resultant yellow card for McCombe became particularly costly when less than two minutes later the Bristol man blocked Hulse as he stormed towards the box.  The referee had no choice but to reach for the second yellow and relegate the Bristol captain to the dressing room.

The sending off proved to be a turning point in the game as Derby surged onwards with their man advantage.  The dominant Derby however appeared unable to get a ball on target, shot after shot went horribly off target or were saved all to easily by Basso.

Croft should have put the Rams ahead when he was gifted the ball by horrendous clearance by Basso; with the City keeper left perilously on the edge of his own box all Croft had to do was pass the ball into the net. Instead he blasted it wide and over; the miss was almost criminal.

Gary Teale on the opposite wing had been having an absolute horror of a game; cries for his substitution echoed around Pride Park. It was the Scotsman however who was to grab the points for the Rams. Teale received the ball from Barker well within his own half, moving swiftly down the left wing the Scot cut inwards beating the City defence to shoot low from 25 yards beating Basso at his near post.  Out of all the players in a Derby shirt Teale had perhaps looked to be the least likely to score; but then again who can predict football!?

Three points should never be bemoaned, but in a game when Derby had no less than twenty attempts on goal questions should really be asked about the quality of the final ball from many players.  The biggest plus to come from the game was undoubtedly the return of Leacock and his partnership with Shaun Barker, this pairing looked solid and hopefully they will be able to build upon this strong start against the impressive Cardiff strike force on Tuesday night.

Following on from the much-needed clean sheet at Blackpool, Derby hosted Plymouth at Pride Park, a side who had failed to beat the Rams in their previous 6 attempts.  With the return of key players Commons and Hulse, the outlook for Derby was bright.  However, concerns about the fitness of both Commons and Hulse meant Steve Davies lead the line, the starting 11 the same as the previous home match to Peterborough with the exception of Tottenham loanee Jake Livermore who replaced the unfit Paul Green.

Plymouth started the brightest, dominating possession but crucially lacking in the final third.  It took a lunge from new signing Jake Buxton for Plymouth to make the breakthrough, chopping down Alain Judge on the edge of the area.  Whilst the penalty itself was debatable, Clough highlighting the proximity to the edge of the box in his post-game interview, the finish was resolute.

The first goal seemed to spark Derby into life.  The Rams began to create numerous openings, Miles Addison making the most of a Teale Corner only to be denied by some shrewd goal line defending.  It wasn’t until just before the break they finally drew level, Jake Buxton making amends for conceding the penalty with an astute finish from just outside the 6-yard box following a scrappy goalmouth scramble.

The second half began with a concerning leg injury to Steve Davies.  Following a promising pre-season it’s a bitter blow to lose Davies, especially given injury plagued his debutant season with the Rams.  His replacement Hulse performed well as lone striker and set up numerous chances that Derby failed to capitalise on.  The game seemed destined for a draw until the final stages.  Alain Judge missed a gilt-edged chance for Plymouth, firing over following a fast counter attack. In the final seconds Derby responded with an incredible Miles Addison header from a Gary Teale corner, yet another well worked set piece

Derby finish the opening 4 games with an impressive 7 points from a possible 12.  However, the promising start must be taken with a pinch of salt as all the opposition so far are heavily touted as relegation candidates and undoubtedly Derby face much more difficult ties ahead; none other than a trip to the City Ground next weekend.

Derby’s season opener witnessed what the media labelled the battle of the ‘greats’, Clough Jnr vs. Ferguson Jnr.  Both promising young managers, burdened with the baggage of their fathers managerial success; the opening game of the season was the ideal opportunity to improve their standing.  Clough was notably the more apprehensive of the two given the fitness concerns of attacking duo Kris Commons and Rob Hulse and the disappointing news Chris Porter would be on the sidelines for the foreseeable future.  Thus, Steve Davies earned himself the lone striker role following his impressive pre-season form.

However it was centre-back Miles Addison, back in the side following an injury plagued finale to the previous season, who opened the scoring, nodding in a headed pass from Jake Buxton.  Paul Green deserved credit for his vision following a delightful ball in from the left.  The width offered by Croft and Teale lead to a first half dominated by Derby, flaunting a passing game one would expect to see at the Emirates rather than Pride Park.  Crucially however, a second goal failed to materialise.

Peterborough battled back valiantly in the second half with Mclean and Mackail-Smith fashioning chances but Derby looked firmly in control.  It took a moment of madness from goalkeeper Stephen Bywater to gift Peterborough a lifeline, needlessly fouling Shaun Batt in the penalty area, duly converted by George Boyd.

Pride Park was momentarily silenced before Gary Teale scored a fortuitous winner, poking the ball under keeper Joe Lewis following a goalmouth scramble.  Kris Commons should have made it three but was exceptionally thwarted one on one by England Under-21 Joe Lewis.

Derby fans can rejoice the club has finally broken the run of failing to win on the opening day of the season, a run stretching back to the victory over Reading in 2002.  Further optimism can be found in the performance of controversial lower league signings Jake Buxton and Dean Moxey.  Both had solid debuts in front of the imposing 33,000 at Pride Park, as did ex-Norwich winger Lee Croft who made a number of threatening crosses in the first half.

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.

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.

Matches between these old rivals require little in the way of introduction at the best of times, but add Derby’s FA cup comeback just a fortnight ago into the mix and the intensity is taken up a notch.  This fixture is as much about pride as it is three points. 

The Rams, keen not to let the occasion spoil their recent winning streak were first out of the blocks, and in less than five minutes Lewin Nyatanga was able to put the Rams one up volleying Kris Commons’ free kick into the bottom corner. 

Derby were dealt yet another injury blow to accompany those picked up at Coventry midweek as Nacer Barazite was replaced by Sterjovski on 15 minutes after being forced off with a dislocated shoulder.    

Despite going behind early it was Forest who were to have the better chances for the remainder of the first half, with Earnshaw twice lifting the ball over Bywater’s bar. 

Having used half time to regroup the Rams came out fired up and with barely a minute of the second half on the clock had doubled their lead.  Once again the goal came from a set-piece; this time crossed in by Robbie Savage and glanced goalwards by Hulse with a deft header on the edge of the six yard box. 

If a state of euphoria had not already been reached amongst the hordes of travelling Derby supporters then it certainly was by the 62^nd minute when Rob Hulse was pushed in the box by Forest captain James Perch.  The resulting penalty was tucked away by Steve Davies to make it three to the Rams. 

Having already used all three substitutions Derby were forced to finish the game with ten men as Jay McEveley like Barazite suffered with his shoulder. 

With the extra man Forest again applied the pressure, eventually pulling one back through Earnshaw who headed down into the Derby net.  

This proved to be only a consolation as Derby walked away with their heads held high.  It had been over thirty years since a Derby victory at the City Ground and with two now in as many weeks things are certainly looking on to be on the up!

The Rams continued their recent winning streak with an emphatic victory against Blackpool.

Under the flood-lit Pride Park the Rams made a confident start to the game and were ahead by the eighth minute, as Hulse pounced on Stephen Crainey’s poor back pass to set up Kris Commons who passed into an empty net.

Any hopes of a quick double were dashed as the recent revelation of Gary Teale limped off to be replaced Steve Davies; the confident play which has epitomised the Rams’ performances of late seemingly drained away.

By the 31^st minute the game was back on even terms as former Ram Rob Edwards rose unchallenged to head in Stephen Crainey’s free kick.

As half time came and went the deadlock continued; whilst a Derby side of old (or even of six weeks ago) may have slipped up under such circumstances this was Nigel Clough’s rejuvenated Derby. A point made clear with a piece of magic from Kris Commons‘ on the 74^th minute. Collecting the ball on the right Commons weaved his way to the edge of the box where he unleashed a screamer into the far top corner for his second of the game.

The lead galvanised the Rams who launched wave after wave of attack. It wasn’t long before Blackpool’s defences were breached again as Green latched onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Commons to make it three to the Rams.

By the time Barazite scored his first goal in a Derby shirt the Rams were home and dry. Collecting the ball in his own half Barazite strolled forward launching a shot from 20 yards beating the keeper with the help of a deflection.

With another three points in the bag and another large step towards safety taken,  the Rams’ can finally put the first half of the season behind them and begin making strides upwards and onwards!

Up next is the small matter of a wooded outcrop down the A52… did somebody shout TIMBER?