Super sub Salvesen makes it four wins on the spin

Lars-Jørgen Salvesen celebrates in front of the south stand after the final whistle (Photo: Joe Egerton).

In the soggy conditions, it always felt as though someone was going to slip up.

When Ivor Pandur did, under pressure from Andi Weimann, enter Lars-Jørgen Salvesen. He’d only been on the pitch a matter of seconds, but the Norwegian composed himself quickly.

First a deft clip with his right boot. A second to breathe.

Then, as he lifted the ball over Pandur with his left foot, this was surely going to be the moment the striker had been dreaming of since his injury in March. With his arms out, Salvesen was sprinting away in celebration before the ball had even crossed the line.

As he was mobbed by his beaming team-mates, he knew that his first goal at Pride Park had just sealed another huge three points for Derby County.

Looking for his first ever home win against Hull as a manager, John Eustace stuck with the tried and tested. His only change, Callum Elder returning following a migraine, with Craig Forsyth dropping to the bench.

After a scrappy opening period, the first real chance of the game came after 14 minutes. From nothing, Matt Crooks played a one-two with Kyle Joseph before rattling the crossbar from 20 yards out

A chance then nearly fell for Derby, who were building with fluidity, perhaps aided by the equally slick nature of the pitch. Ben Brereton Díaz flicked the ball round the corner to David Ozoh. Though the return pass was just lacking, it was now a warning shot apiece.

But the 27^th-minute opener came from more traditional, direct means. Charlie Hughes blocked Agyemang on the counter, and from a second successive corner, Derby had lift off.

As he did at Bramall Lane, Joe Ward set the ball onto a perfect flight path, towards the head of Carlton Morris at the near post, who landed it in the back of the net. All good pilots need air traffic control, too. For Derby, that comes from assistant head coach Matt Gardiner, who Eustace later hailed as “one of the best in the business.”

Frenetic but scrappy was how the first 45 concluded. A story of overhit crosses, miscued shots, blocked passes, and flick-ons to no-one. Surely Hull, who have risen up the table with fast, counter-attacking football, couldn’t be as laboured in the second half?

After Pandur got a strong hand to Elder’s long-range drive, The Tigers pounced. Joe Gelhardt slipped through Crooks down the right, before Jacob Widell Zetterström clawed his shot away.

A minute later, though, Hull were level. After Gelhardt swept the ball across to Joel Ndala, Zetterström looked to have it covered. But as Ward also slid in, attempting to retrieve the ball, it broke to the forward. Now sat a yard away from goal, he swivelled and bundled it over the line.

It became an uncomfortable watch for the home crowd, The Rams increasingly at risk of being mauled.

There was outrage from the stands when Pandur wasn’t punished by referee Stephen Martin for appearing to handle the ball outside of his box. But perhaps justice was served when Salvesen punished his later error, with an unceremonious dink.

The adoration for The Rams’ number 15 come full-time was testament, not only to him, but to the family feel around the club.

According to head coach John Eustace, who was “obviously very, very proud” of Salvesen, the secret is simple: “just being honest.”

A tight-knit nature has been a feature of Eustace’s teams, both at Birmingham City, and Blackburn Rovers, where he will return with The Rams this weekend. It has been particularly evident when his Derby side have been at their best over recent games but would undoubtedly have been just as necessary during their difficult start to the season.

To revive a phrase from last season, the sense that Derby are fighters, not victims, has been present in their turnaround. Both in recent form, and the second half against Hull. After an injection of energy of the bench, prey suddenly became predator when the chance arose.

For Eustace, who has long spoken about the importance of his entire squad, here were the fruits of his labour in rebuilding with strength-in-depth in mind.

He explained: “These players have got to be feel wanted, they've got to feel used, and, you know, we do that.

“It's not about any individual; it's not about 11 players. It’s about the squad of 25 over the season.

In an era where so much is made of tactics and performance, squad dynamics can too often be forgotten. But it continues to pay dividends for Derby, as the entire team’s reaction to Salvesen’s goal showed.

With Morris in fine form, he has waited patiently for an opportunity, pressing from the front to help see out games, working diligently for the team. At last, he got a deserved moment in the spotlight, in which anyone of a Derby persuasion could not be anything other than delighted.

Goals: Morris 27', Salvesen 83' | Ndala 50'

Derby (3-4-2-1): Zetterström (GK); Langås, Sanderson, Clarke; Ward, Ozoh (Adams 77’), Clark, Elder; Brereton Díaz (Weimann 77’), Agyemang (Brewster 68’); Morris (C) (Salvesen 83’).

Unused Substitutes: Vickers (GK); Forsyth, Batth; Jackson, Blackett-Taylor.

Hull (5-2-3): Pandur (GK); Drameh, Ajayi, Egan (Hadziahmetović 86’), Hughes (C), Giles; Slater, Crooks; Gelhardt (Akintola 81’), Joseph (Destan 81’), Ndala (Gyabi 70’).

Unused Substitutes: Phillips (GK); Famewo, Coyle; McCarthy, Brown.