The Imps travelled away from home last night to take on Derby County as we looked to get our first-ever point against Derby at Pride Park, with our last twelve attempts resulting in no points.
Mark Kennedy named an unchanged side from the last two games, against Accrington Stanley and Bristol Rovers. Carl Rushworth started in front of a back five of Sean Roughan, Paudie O’Connor, Adam Jackson, Lewis Montsma and Regan Poole, who hadn’t conceded a goal in 450 minutes worth of football before yesterday. Ethan Erhahon and Ted Bishop started centrally behind a front three of Jack Diamond, Mide Shodipo and Ben House. The only absence from the matchday squad was Danny Mandroiu, but Max Sanders was introduced back into the team.
2,285 Imps travelled down yesterday on Valentine’s Day, and the game was everything we had hoped for. Nearly three weeks ago, we drew 0-0 with Cambridge at home and it was by far the worst performance of the season entertainment-wise, and last night was the opposite. We had goals, heroic defending, some dark arts and even some controversial referring (my friend Mr Barton won’t be a big fan of that). I left Pride Park very proud last night and in all honesty, I don’t care what Derby fans have to say about our gamesmanship because I can guarantee they have done the exact same thing before.
The atmosphere was rocking and the lads were reacting to that. They went hard into every tackle and pressed at every opportunity really getting the crowd going. The first ten minutes were massive in this game and we got through them really well. Derby looked good on the ball but then again, a team with Conor Hourihane and such should be controlling the game and dominating possession. What really did impress me though, was our pressing of the ball, the first real chance of the game came from our press and I thought throughout the whole of the first half, we could have and should have been more clinical with our chances made through the press. The first chance came from House and Diamond pressing the ball well, we won it back high up the pitch and it created a chance for Diamond, where he probably should have done better.
Derby started to come into the game in attacking sense, with David McGoldrick showed his class on the ball and why he probably should be playing at a higher level than this. He was at the centre of their first chance and played a smart ball between the lines that was pulled back by Lewis Dobbin, full-back Korey Smith latched onto it and it looked goal bound if it wasn’t for a superb block from Roughan. I honestly can’t believe he is still only 19. He plays beyond his years and if you didn’t know anything about him you’d think he had over 200 EFL appearances under his belt. He has kept Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (yes the one who has spent a large amount of his career playing second division football) quiet for 180 minutes of football this season. At 19 that is extremely impressive.
Although we were having less of the ball, we were having the better chances and we won the ball again on were on the break through Diamond, who definitely looks back to his creative best. Mide and Jack linked up well and the former pulled the ball across goal but it was agonizingly too far in front of Jack and the move filtered out after a shot from Roughan being comfortably saved. We did get rewarded for our hard work though, Bishop whipped in a half-decent corner but it was cleared by the Rams, who looked to break. However, the leg of Erhahon meant City could get back onto the front-foot. Centre-half Montsma was bearing down on goal and got a decent shot off, forcing a save. The Rams keeper couldn’t hold it and all Mide had to do was tap it home to send over 2000 Imps into celebration.
We held on to half-time and went into the break with a one goal lead and we could have been a few to the good if we were more clinical in crucial moments.
I thought we could go and get three points, but there was a moment in the second half, where that looked like a bit of an unlikely outcome. House, who was already booked, lunged into a challenge on McGoldrick and was given his marching orders by the referee. I have no real complaints about this as I thought both challenges were yellow cards but I do think on the first one, the Derby players got Ben booked. I don’t think the referee was initially going to book him but after getting crowded, he seemed to change his mind. That being said, I can’t really have any arguments and I think Ben has to take some blame for going to ground.
Mark showed some great tactical knowhow and pulled off Mide straight away and replaced him with Lasse Sorensen to help shut up shop and try to defend our lead with 10 men, which we’ve done multiple times this season. I think it was the right decision and the only thing we lacked was no support for Jack up front on his own, but he did really well up there. He challenged for every ball, on the ground and in the air and won his fair share and gave us time to reorganize with runs into the channels.
Derby did get themselves an equaliser however through Hourihane after a shot from McGoldrick. I think he was offside just, but our goal was too, so I guess we have to take it with a pinch of salt. Derby were looking to go on and win the game and they certainly knocked on the door more than a few times. The last thirty minutes felt like thirty hours, they hit the bar, had countless good chances and even had the ball in the back of the net but it was given offside by the linesmen. We wasted time, as we should in the situation, and brought out all the usual tricks to try and break up the game. I have seen Derby fans complaining, but there would have been times when they would have done it too and it’s part of the game. They have one of the biggest budgets in the league and on paper they should have finished us off, so I think it’s more than fair for us to break up play in the way we did. The amount of times we’ve seen teams come to the Bank and do that, it’s about time we did the same.
I came out of Pride Park yesterday extremely proud of the lads and what we achieved. 4 points from 6 against a team that probably should be in the play-offs come the end of the season is impressive and to go to Pride Park and get our first ever point is a testament to the hard work that’s happening. If we trust him, Mark can take this team places. Onto Saturday, Up The Imps!