Alli’s early goal condemns Derby to sickening defeat

Derby players looked deflated on the Pride Park pitch after the final whistle.

Like a particularly solid Easter Egg, Luton were nigh on impossible to crack. Derby tried biting it and hitting it on the table to no avail. In this ridiculous scenario, they probably should have used a hammer. But The Rams lack a heavy-hitting striker.

Add to this the news that Jacob Widell Zetterström is out for the season having fractured his eye socket last time out at Portsmouth, and it was hardly a Good Friday.

In the Swedish stopper’s absence, Josh Vickers made his first start since August, the only change to the side that drew on the south coast six days prior. While Luton made two changes following a defeat to ten-man Blackburn, Matt Bloomfield giving starts to Kal Naismith and Lamine Fanne.

The visitors took the lead in the tenth minute, having won a corner off Kane Wilson. The ball was dropped into the box by Jordan Clark before Mark McGuinness found Alli, who drilled the ball past Vickers in a packed box to send the 3,000 travelling Hatters into raptures. 

Just minutes later, a further blow for The Rams, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing forced off with what is thought to be a fractured eye socket too.

After a nothing start to the game, Alli’s goal had knocked the wind out of Derby’s sails. Among the sold-out crowd, all of the noise was coming from those in orange in the southeast corner.

Not that Derby were giving the near 30,000 home fans much to cheer for, second to every ball and struggling to hold possession, a dire first half was best summarised by a throw-in 15 yards from the Luton goal resulting in Christ Makosso firing over the bar for the visitors.

The travelling fans thought they had a second in the 31st minute, Makoso meeting a free kick from the left, but the Congolese defender headed agonisingly wide.

Derby’s best openings throughout the first half came from balls played over the top down the left, but even then, Jerry Yates and substitute Kayden Jackson often found themselves up a cul-de-sac.

Eustace’s side had the final chances of the half. The short corners had been wince-inducing until one led to a game of head tennis across the six-yard box, The Rams failing to “BURY IT!” as one rather frustrated gentleman behind me put it.

And that would be the theme of the second half too, despite Derby being much the better side after Eustace told them to “keep believing in what we’re doing and don’t get frustrated”.

And that they did, coming out battling, playing on the front foot.

Harness’ blocked shot awakening the home faithful before Yates fired a golden chance straight at Kaminski. The ball came back to Wilson, whose follow-up left the entire stadium waiting on the referee’s watch, though McGuinness must have made another goal-line clearance.

You cannot get closer than that, as I wrote in our live X and Bluesky updates in all capitals, taking my frustrations out on my keyboard.

Derby kept knocking on the door, Ebou Adams seeing an attempt blocked before Yates headed the Gambian’s cross wide five minutes later.

With 18 minutes to play, Matt Bloomfield looked to sure up his backline, bringing on two centre backs at wing back. Under the cosh, Luton now very much had five defenders.

And yet, Derby kept coming. Kayden Jackson, who had been bright throughout the second half, getting round his man to shoot from close range, only to be denied by Kaminski.

The Belgian was called into action once more in the 85th minute, clawing away a Harness header.

As Derby turned the pressure dial up beyond max., Luton were “hanging by a thread” as one commentator in front of me put it. Seven minutes of added time were met by an almighty roar from the home crowd, while the visiting fans presumably had no fingernails left to chew.

But ultimately, Luton would hold on to move level on points with Derby, who remain outside of the bottom three on goal difference following Cardiff’s evening defeat at Sheffield United.

Eustace: “We’re disappointed but not down”

Though John Eustace was trying to cut a relatively upbeat figure post-match, it’s clear that the odds are stacking against him.

As much as the former Rams midfielder isn’t going to use the “easy” excuse of the ever-worsening injury list, the absence of Zetterström is arguably the biggest blow yet.

But that was not the problem versus Luton, Josh Vickers “[didn’t have] anything to do today apart from the goal.”

The problems were two-fold. In the first half, The Rams failed to keep possession, win second balls, and as Eustace said: “weren’t on the front foot enough [and] we didn’t win enough tackles.”

It was a game that appeared to be crying out for Liam Thompson. But those half-time tweaks saw the midfield become more combative, while keeping hold of the ball. On top of his ball-winning abilities, Ebou Adams was the most accurate passer on the pitch, in a well-rounded second half performance. But that he holds that accolade with an accuracy of 83 per cent, summarises the lack of quality that was on show in many ways.

Kane Wilson was a constant danger in the second half completing more successful dribbles than anyone else, with an impressive work rate too. The wing back has improved greatly under Eustace and a new contract for The Buffalo is a must.

Derby’s biggest issue though, was evident in the second half, and frustratingly familiar. They just could not score. 70 per cent possession and 12 shots to Luton’s nil after the break. These should be the stats of a winning side.

Good performances in spells, at this stage, will not be enough. Good performances over ninety minutes may not be enough either. After four straight wins, The Rams are now four without a win.

It remains too close to call between the bottom five, but Derby will surely need at least one more victory to preserve their Championship status.

Derby (3-4-2-1): Vickers (GK); Langås (Goudmijn 76’), Phillips, Clarke; Wilson, Armstrong (Barkhuizen 90’), Adams (C), Forsyth; Mendez-Laing (Jackson 15’), Harness; Yates.

Substitutes not used: Luthra (GK), Osborn, Thompson, Rooney, Pieters, Wheeldon.

Luton Town (3-5-2): Kaminski (GK); Makosso, McGuiness, Bell; Jones (Burke 72’), Clark (Nakamba 81’), Naismith, Fanne (Mengi 72’), Alli (Chong 90’); Aasgaard, Morris (C) (Nordås 81’).

Substitutes not used: Krul (GK), Walsh, Nelson, Harris.