Derby County (1) 2-2 (0) West Bromwich Albion
1-0 Paul Dickov (42)
1-1 Simon Cox (82)
1-2 Graham Dorrans (90+2)
2-2 D.J. Campbell (90+4)
Pride Park Stadium, Derby: 30,127
Derby County (4-4-2): -
Stephen Bywater [8] – GK – I missed the Reading game and was pleased to see Bywater return to his confident self again with none of the flapping for crosses I saw last time against Coventry City. Overall he didn’t have a lot to do, but twice had to race out and dive at an attacker’s feet to grab the ball fairly. His distribution was better too with no aimless kicks into touch.
Fredrik Stoor [8] – RB – A very solid game by Stoor against strong opposition. I spent some time trying to establish why I think he’s a better full-back than Paul Connolly. There’s nothing spectacularly stand out, I just think his all-round game is better. Stoor read the game well, wasn’t caught out of position, made some decisive interceptions and clearances, and passed the ball out of defence with confidence.
Dean Leacock [7] – CB(R) – Another strong defensive performance from Leacock. Against difficult opposition, Leacock impressed in the air and on the deck. Looks very comfortable on the ball, distributes it well, and isn’t afraid to bring the ball out of defence when the situation calls for it. Did get caught out a couple of times when he was either trying to be too clever or too casual but overall had a very good game.
Jay McEveley [8] – CB(L) – I’ll be honest, when I heard Shaun Barker was out I worried for our defence against free-scoring, in-form WBA, but I was worrying unnecessarily. The biggest compliment I can give McEveley is that we didn’t miss Barker at all. I thought “Zorro” was absolutely outstanding and, for me, he was Derby County’s man of the match. A strong physical presence in defence, McEveley was dominant in the air, strong in the tackle, and made a number of clearances. Only one lapse of concentration saw him concede a first-half free-kick in a dangerous position but, otherwise, I couldn’t fault him.
Dean Moxey [7] – LB – Another good defensive performance from Moxey on his return to the first team. Defended well in the air, and on the deck. Got forward a few times to support Gary Teale, passed the ball well, but his final cross still needs to improve.
Lee Croft [6] – RM – A hard working performance from Croft, after three games on the bench, and he certainly put in a committed shift for the Rams. Skill and trickery on the ball, with no shortage of pace, but I’d like to see him getting involved in the game more and his final ball or cross into the danger area still needs work.
Robbie Savage [7] – CM(R) – Once again a fantastic hard working display from the Rams captain. He wound up both the WBA players and fans which is testimony to his commitment in closing down the Baggies and getting in their faces. Hard tackling throughout, he did well to keep his cool when kicked in the head by Graham Dorrans. A tremendous amount of running, Savage covered a lot of ground and was frequently the player sprinting forward to get into the box. He even made a burst down the wing at one point and his low cross into the box deserved better. Worked very well with Stephen Pearson and, together, they kept the pace and momentum going.
Stephen Pearson [7] – CM(L) – Continues to provide something different in midfield that no other Rams midfielder offers. His energy and ability to run into the right areas late, particularly in attacking situations, gives Derby County another dimension. His influence on the game continues to improve as his fitness increases. Just needs to work on his passing as he gave the ball away too frequently.
Gary Teale [7] – LM – What you see is what you get with Teale. Hard work and commitment, a very direct approach, and he does cause the opposition problems. Most impressive is his resilience. Hit and miss at times, Teale just keeps on going – no matter how many times the full-back dispossesses him, he continues to run at his opponent and take him on. It’s law of averages with Teale and when he does get past his man, he creates dangerous situations. Crossed well against WBA and had a good first-half chance but, unfortunately, sliced his volley wide.
Paul Dickov [8] – SC – Voted Man of the Match by Rams fans and you can’t really fault that decision, although it was a tad harsh on the outstanding McEveley. Dickov has proved to be a very astute signing by Nigel Clough. He is such an intelligent player and he plays with intelligence. Always on the move, always looking for space to run into, always looking for the ball. Dickov has a good first touch and great vision – even when a pass is coming to him, he’s looking around to see what options are available to him. Links up very well with Rob Hulse. Brought a fantastic save out of Scott Carson and then scored a magnificent goal, yes there was a huge deflection but his ability to beat the defender, turn quickly, and hit a controlled shot was sublime.
Rob Hulse [7] – SC – Another good performance by the big man and Dickov is certainly bringing the best out of him. A strong, physical presence although a lack of mobility sometimes lets him down. Links up well with Dickov. Had a few good opportunities to score but his shots and headers were off target.
Substitutes:
Lee Hendrie [7] – RM (for Croft, 73) – Added energy, work rate, and commitment from the moment he was introduced and helped get the Rams on the front foot again in a very open, end-to-end last 15 minutes. Rammed the Baggies’ fans chants of “Hendrie, what’s the score? Hendrie, Hendrie what’s the score?” right back down their throats with a brilliant run into the penalty area, neat control, and inch perfect cross into the 6-yard box for the dramatic late equaliser.
D. J. Campbell [7] – SC (for Dickov, 86) – Not really on the pitch long enough to make an impression, except he did. A brilliant run into the penalty area saw him turn Hendrie’s excellent cross into the back of the net to send Pride Park Stadium into raptures and silence the WBA fans who had been taunting Hendrie.
Subs not used: Ross Atkins, Paul Connolly, Miles Addison, Jake Livermore, Chris Porter.
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