Fine margins and poor finishing had plagued Derby County in recent weeks as they endured a run of just one win in 11. But after bouncing back from a passive defeat at Leeds by earning a point at Burnley, the Rams have ended what may well be their most difficult week of the season in style. With a thumping win in a potential six-pointer against Portsmouth.
John Mousinho’s side were on the up, with eight points from their prior four games since star striker Colby Bishop returned following open-heart surgery. While for Paul Warne, this was must-win.
After such an impressive point at Turf Moor in midweek, to revert to a 4-3-3 and make five changes was bold. But bold is exactly what the Rams have needed to be.
Derby made a fast start, putting Portsmouth under pressure from the first whistle, and took the lead in the eighth minute, with a slick team goal.
The move started with Jacob Zetterström, before Eiran Cashin’s sublime pass broke multiple Portsmouth lines en route to Ebou Adams. The ball found Mendez-Laing via some good hold-up play from Jerry Yates, and the skipper then picked out Kane Wilson at the far post, who would confidently smash home his second goal of the season.
A short spell for the visitors followed, with Matt Ritchie’s free kick teeing up a game of head tennis in the Derby box.
But goalscorer Wilson soon led Derby up the pitch, getting on the end of a through ball and beating his man before Pompey skipper Marlon Pack hacked the ball behind for a corner.
From in front of the north-east corner, Kenzo Goudmijn’s delivery was inch-perfect, straight onto the head of Cashin, who leapt like a salmon to guide a bullet header in from 12 yards.
Derby made it three in the 29th minute: Mendez-Laing slipped the ball back to Craig Forsyth, whose low cross was met by Adams and deflected in off Tom McIntyre.
It could have been four when Cashin played another delicious diagonal, through to Yates. But Schmidt palmed the Swansea loanee’s shot across goal away, before Adams skied the rebound.
At the break, the home fans were ecstatic and applauded their side off the pitch – a crucial clash had brought crisp passing and clinical finishing.
The second half started slowly and scrappily, but Paul Warne’s side were still keeping Portsmouth at arm’s length.
Derby’s only sour note of the night came in the 59th minute, when Cashin had to be substituted with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
But even that couldn’t stop a confident-looking Rams side, who made it four six minutes later.
Wilson played the ball to Harness down the right before the former Pompey man showed good feet to drift inside and play a square pass which visiting skipper Marlon Pack turned into his own net.
Substitutes Liam Thompson and James Collins linked up moments after coming on in the 77th minute, Thompson dinking the ball to the back post from where Collins’ diving header was narrowly wide.
And Paul Warne’s side had a final chance when Abdoulaye Kamara’s backpass gifted the ball to Kayden Jackson. The winger dummied as the ball rolled towards a goal vacated by Nicolas Schmid, who did well to back-pedal and push it away on the goal line.
Analysis: Everything came together
This was Derby’s most complete performance of the season, and it has come at the perfect time.
Pressure has been mounting on Paul Warne in recent weeks given the Rams’ recent form and it felt as though this could have been a reckoning akin to last season’s trip to Stevenage had it gone badly.
Much like after that defeat at the Lamex, though, Warne has pulled it out the bag, even if he didn’t “think we played any better tonight than in any other home game.”
I disagree, this was a game where it all clicked. The high-tempo, fluid, crisp passing and the high pressing that I’ve been ramming home the importance of for weeks. On top of that, Derby found the finishing touch that they’ve been lacking and played with a real confidence.
The trio of Ben Osborn sitting, with Kenzo Goudmijn and Ebou Adams ahead dominated the middle third of the pitch. Osborn dictated from deep, energetically shielding the backline, allowing his midfield colleagues freedom. Goudmijn was flaunting his technique and looking to attack at every opportunity, while the ever-tenacious Adams made many a dangerous run into the box and grabbed a goal on top of his usual defensive strength, which helped Derby to win key battles and press high.
Before going off injured, Eiran Cashin continued what is surely the best form of his career. So much pre-match focus had been on Colby Bishop, who fired Portsmouth to the League One title last season, but Cashin forced him to feed off scraps. The bullet header and many of those trademark sumptuous diagonal balls proved that he’s so much more than a top defender too. He’ll be a huge miss while out injured.
Captain Nathaniel Mendez-Laing admitted to BBC Radio Derby that he hasn’t hit his usual standards of late, but this was a return to those. Holding width on the left-hand side and beating his full back with a mixture of power and close control to create the most chance of any player on the pitch, including the opener.
His performance was reminiscent of his talismanic display in the 2-0 win over Exeter City in October of 2023, which sparked a run of form that earned him a place in the League One team of the season. A repeat of that form wouldn’t go amiss.
The best player on the pitch for me, though, was the first goalscorer, Kane Wilson. Admittedly I do have a penchant for a skilful flying wing back anyway, but the Buffalo had his best game in a Derby shirt. His usual strengths, pace, power and dribbling to drive the Rams forward were on show, but on top of that, Wilson’s passing was incisive, and he linked up brilliantly with Marcus Harness, who had a good game in the inside right.
Sometimes Wilson can struggle defensively – he is very much a wing back – but playing in a back four, he kept the pacey Josh Murphy quiet throughout, without sacrificing his attacking output.
A three-game week which started poorly has ended on a massive high: Derby must take the confidence they have shown to Luton on Friday.
Derby (4-3-3): Zetterström (GK); Wilson, Nelson, Cashin (Phillips 58’), Forsyth; Goudmijn, Osborn, Adams (Thompson 77’); Harness (Jackson 66’), Yates (Collins 77’), Mendez-Laing (C) (Elder 66’).
Substitutes not used: Vickers (GK), Blackett-Taylor, Barkhuizen, Brown.
Portsmouth (4-2-3-1): Schmid (GK); Devlin (Swanson 46’), McIntyre, Pack (C), Ogilvie; Potts (Kamara 64’), Dozzell; Ritchie (Saydee 46’), Lang, Murphy (Lane 72’); Bishop (Sørensen 78’).
Substitutes not used: Archer (GK), Poole, Towler, Moxon.
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