Earlier in the week, Neil Harris claimed that stats show that Millwall should be in the top four, but his side’s performance suggested otherwise as Derby earned their first point on the road this season.
In a game of little quality, the Rams worked hard and were rewarded when Jerry Yates scrambled the ball in for his first Derby goal, before Mihailo Ivanović got a late leveller following a stroke of luck.
Despite these two milestones, it wasn’t all good news for the Rams, Ryan Nyambe going off with what seemed to be a knee injury just after the half hour mark.
Paul Warne made one change to the side that beat QPR 2-0 a fortnight ago, Corey Blackett-Taylor starting ahead of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, who only returned from international duty with Guatemala on Thursday afternoon according to the Rams’ head coach.
Meanwhile, Neil Harris made two changes following the 0-0 draw with West Brom, Duncan Watmore and Joe Bryan coming in for Femi Azeez and Dan McNamara.
Derby started well, with early chances fashioned by both Blackett-Taylor and Kayden Jackson. The former ran in behind down the left, but couldn’t keep his shot down, while the latter saw a pass to Yates cut out and cleared.
George Honeyman had the Lions’ first chance after 14 minutes. But the midfielder was put under pressure by Derby’s backline, making the save a simple one for Zetterström.
A quarter of the way through, the game was becoming a stop-start affair, but Millwall were keeping possession well and soon fashioned the best chance of the half. Romain Esse made a run down the right and found Watmore, who teed up Macaulay Langstaff, but the former Notts County man could only rattle the post from six yards out.
Paul Warne’s side suffered an injury blow as Ryan Nyambe was forced off in the 32nd minute after blocking a cross from Honeyman at full stretch.
Kane Wilson replaced him at right back, and made an instant impact, driving down the wing to win his side a free kick, from which the Rams tested Lucas Jensen with headers thrice in quick succession.
Jerry Yates had the last notable chance of the half, curling an effort high and wide from the edge of the box with five minutes to play. At the break, it was goalless, with the Rams having failed to hit the target, but stayed strong at the back.
Moments after the restart, Yates got on the end of Jake Cooper’s clearance and slid it through to Blackett-Taylor, who was fouled in the box. However, the winger was deemed to have been offside – “wrongly” according to Warne – and no penalty was awarded.
The former Charlton winger was the centre of attention a few minutes later, when Cashin played a peach of a reverse ball to see him in on goal. But the number 27 scuffed his right footed effort at the near post, sending it off target. A glorious chance squandered.
Millwall went straight up the other end, where Langstaff found himself one-on-one, only to be denied by the outstretched leg of Zetterström, who had positioned himself well.
The game continued in the stop-start vein the first half had ended in, with little to report until the 78th minute, when the Rams would finally register a shot on target.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing won Derby a corner, which was delayed by a move which Paul Warne is now being hailed for; a double substitution. It might not have been James Collins or Nat Phillips who found the back of the net, but some will argue it had an impact, with Millwall’s plan to defend the set piece perhaps disrupted as Jerry Yates bundled the ball over the line for his first goal in black and white.
Derby’s lead wouldn’t last though, the hosts equalising within seven minutes. There was a stroke of luck in Curtis Nelson’s attempted clearance bouncing into the path of substitute Mihailo Ivanović, but the Serbian then showed great composure to run through most of the Derby half and round Zetterström before slotting the ball in the net for his first Millwall goal.
Analysis: Ducks broken
This was not the sort of game that many will watch even the highlights of for entertainment, with creative spark and moments of magic left to be desired from both sides. However, for Derby County, an unspectacular but gritty display on their travels was just the right antidote to their struggles on the road.
The Rams struggled to retain possession, or create much with it: Kenzo Goudmijn, Marcus Harness and winger Kayden Jackson were all quiet. Making his first start of the season, Corey Blackett-Taylor began the first half brightly, then faded a little, before returning to his initial standard as one of Derby’s two bright sparks in the second half.
The other was first half substitute Kane Wilson, who has made the highest number of successful dribbles per 90 in the Championship this season. He carried his side up the pitch and won a number of set pieces, whilst Kayden Jackson worked hard out of possession to cover for the flying wing back on the right. This will only go so far in allaying the fears surrounding the potential absence of the ever-dependable Ryan Nyambe though.
Much like his team’s performance, Jerry Yates’ goal is unlikely to be remembered for anything other than the milestone, but he won’t care how it went in - getting off the mark was imperative for a player who will ultimately be judged on his record in front of goal.
Yates had done everything but score so far in his loan spell prior to visiting The Den, his link-up play and immense work rate seeing him endear himself to the Pride Park flock, many of whom felt he deserved a goal after going close in a number of games so far this season. That sentiment is clearly shared by his team-mates, who held their frontman aloft in celebration. It was his positioning and striker’s instinct that saw him open his Derby account, and the hope will now be that the floodgates will open for the Swansea loanee.
With their ducks broken and the next few away fixtures looking more favourable than the first five gon paper, Yates and Derby will be hoping to put a good run together and make their struggles on the road a distant memory.
Derby (4-3-3): Zetterström (GK); Nyambe (Wilson 33’), Nelson, Cashin (C), Forsyth; Adams, Goudmijn (Osborn 62’), Harness (Collins 77’); Jackson (Phillips 78’), Yates, Blackett-Taylor (Mendez-Laing 61’).
Substitutes not used: Vickers (GK), Elder, Bradley, Brown.
Millwall (4-2-3-1): Jensen (GK); Leonard, Tanganga, Cooper (C), Bryan; de Norre (Kelly 84’), Saville (Wintle 84’); Esse, Honeyman, Watmore (Azeez 65’); Langstaff (Ivanović 73’).
Substitutes not used: Roberts (GK), McNamara, Wallace, Harding, Massey.
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