Academy graduate Dajaune Brown scored his first senior goal for Derby as they came from behind to draw at home to Hull.
Brown’s header and Xavier Simons’ earlier goal from range were the two standout moments in a match that had previously been incredibly flat.
Playing their third game in eight days, Paul Warne made three changes to the Rams side that drew at Oxford four days earlier. Craig Forsyth, Kayden Jackson and Marcus Harness came in for Callum Elder, Corey Blackett-Taylor and Ben Osborn, but it wasn’t enough to stop Derby looking fatigued.
Hull boss Tim Walter made two alterations as the Tigers looked to end a three-game winless run, opting to Chris Bedia and Abu Kamara into his front three for his side’s third game in a week.
The visitors started the better of the two sides, controlling possession with their considered passing approach. But signs of vulnerability were also evident, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing breaking from Derby’s deep shape on a couple of occasions to hit Hull’s high line on the counter.
Kane Wilson had the best chance of the first half when he met Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s corner with a header in the 28th minute but was denied by Ivor Pandur.
Abu Kamara was the Hull player who found himself in the best position to score before the break, the left winger leaving Wilson trailing before skying an effort at the near post from 10 yards out.
The Tigers took the lead with the first moment of real quality. Allowed time on the ball, Xavier Simons swept the ball across goal into the bottom left corner with a precise strike from 25 yards. Jacob Widell Zetterström had no chance.
Paul Warne had already lined up a triple change for the Rams, which took place as soon as they went behind, with Brown Osborn and Blackett-Taylor entering the fray.
Derby soon won a corner after Harness’ long shot was deflected behind. The ball played short; Blackett-Taylor crossed it to the back post which was rattled by a Curtis Nelson header. Ebou Adams’ follow-up then went wide as Derby appealed for handball.
A couple of minutes later, Brown drew Derby level, another dangerous delivery Osborn leading to the goal.
The number eight’s free kick, more than 30 yards from goal on the left flank, was whipped into the box and met by Brown whose header from 12 yards out looped over Pandur.
As the final whistle drew near, both sides took more attacking approaches and either of them could have won the game in stoppage time. But both Warne and Walter had to settle for a point, which extends both Derby’s unbeaten run, and Hull’s winless run to four games.
Delight for Dajaune Brown
A landmark day for Dajaune Brown ended unjustly. Given a rare chance of league minutes, the 19-year-old seized his opportunity before hobbling off with an injury in the 89th minute. Though Paul Warne didn’t appear concerned about it, telling BBC Radio Derby that “it’s just his ankle.”
Brown spent the final part of last season on loan with National League Gateshead, scoring the winning penalty as The Heed won the FA Trophy at Wembley capping off an excellent spell in which he reportedly caught the attention of Premier League clubs.
Because of his fine form, the widespread expectation had been that the striker would head back out on loan, this time to a side in the EFL. But this didn’t happen with the Rams unable to bring in another number nine before the summer window closed.
Instead of getting regular minutes lower down the pyramid, Brown has had to bide his time, playing twice for Derby’s under 21s as well as featuring in both of the Rams’ Carabao Cup games, and coming off the bench against Sheffield United.
But as he came on, this felt like his big moment, playing Championship minutes in front of a packed Pride Park for the first time. Derby had been playing lethargically, with Jerry Yates scarcely involved. Granted, Brown didn’t have many touches of the ball either (five in half an hour to Yates’ 13 in an hour is an even worse ratio) but this appears a systemic issue, whoever Paul Warne puts up front.
What Brown did offer was lots of energy, playing with zip that Yates understandably lacked after playing over 200 minutes in eight days, as he and the other substitutes gave Derby a new lease of life.
And of course, despite little time on the ball, he displayed his killer instinct that has been seen time and again in Derby’s youth teams and with Gateshead, with a header which he had little right to score.
Derby’s academy was decimated when the club went into administration and Brown has been one of the crown jewels as the rebuild has progressed. His first goal for the senior team is a major moment on his journey which fans hope will see him be the next to go from Moor Farm to Pride Park hero.
Derby (4-3-3): Zetterström (GK); Wilson, Nelson, Cashin, Forsyth; Adams, Goudmijn (Osborn 60’), Harness (Thompson 89’); Jackson, Yates (Brown 59’, Phillips 89’), Mendez-Laing (C) (Blackett-Taylor 60’).
Unused Substitutes: Vickers (GK), Bradley, Collins, Elder.
Hull (4-3-3): Pandur (GK); Coyle (C), Jones, Hughes, Drameh; Simons, Slater (Palmer 46’), Puerta (Ömur 46’); Belloumi (Burstow 82’), Bedia, Kamara (Pedro 63’).
Unused Substitutes: Racioppi (GK), Giles, Jarvis, McLoughlin, Zambrano.
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