Jack Bryan is a football writer and life long Derby County supporter.
Derby took on Shrewsbury Town for the first time in 35 years on Tuesday night, playing at Montgomery Waters Meadow.
The Rams were in full control throughout the first half, bar a five-minute spell in which they had to see off two Shrewsbury corners. Jamie Ward even commented that watching Derby, “is like watching Brazil at times.” Liam Rosenior’s side had eighty percent possession, remaining patient and pressing The Shrews with intensity on the occasions in which the hosts had the ball.
A dull first 45 only really contained a couple of big moments. In the 34th minute, possession having been turned over a number of times, Korey Smith won the ball back and found Tom Barkhuizen who drove forward and went down on the edge of the box. Conor Hourihane swung the ball to the far post from the resulting free kick on the left-hand side, but Richard Stearman somehow headed off target from three yards out, a position which he admits he should have scored from. Another chance came to Derby in the 40th minute, playing one or two touch football, as they did throughout the first half. James Collins pulled off a brilliant dummy and then found Hourihane who passed to Barkhuizen, and the winger was denied by Marko Marosi, who had to use his entire frame to block the shot.
The Rams clearly needed something else to unlock the Shrewsbury defence, who sat very deep. The final ball had been lacking, and not one of the midfield three of Smith, Hourihane, and Bird were willing to run beyond James Collins.
Seconds after the break came Shrewsbury’s best chance of the game so far. Latching on to a long ball, Daniel Udoh got in behind the Derby defence, before shooting high and wide. As has been the case in Derby’s last few games, their opponents started the second half a different side, taking control of the game.
In the 54th minute, Korey Smith made way for debutant David McGoldrick, with Rosenior opting for a more attacking approach. However, it was Shrewsbury who continued to pile on the pressure, Luke Leahy striking a free kick from range, and the visitors also having to defend a corner. Next, with Joe Wildsmith 30 yards out of his goal, Luke Leahy unleashed an audacious shot from the centre circle, only just missing the target.
Just after the hour mark, Lewis Dobbin and Louie Sibley replaced Barkhuizen and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, and the team looked brighter. Hourihane, Sibley and Collins all having efforts blocked, as the ball moved like a pinball around the box and Stearman headed over from Hourihane’s corner.
Derby were once again pressing with real intensity in the last twenty minutes, and had further chances, Max Bird’s whipped delivery which headed straight at the ‘keeper by McGoldrick, and great build up play, in which Dobbin weaved through three defenders, before Hourihane crossed, but Collins failed to score.
At the death, Sibley drove towards goal and was denied by another fine Marosi save, before an equally golden opportunity for Shrewsbury to win the game in the 93rd minute, but Daniel Udoh horrendously missed the goal.
And that was that the game somehow finished goalless. Derby should have won, given their dominance, but Shrewsbury successfully stifled their play in the final third, playing a very deep 5-4-1 formation out of possession. The Rams kept the ball superbly, having 75% possession come the end of the game, but didn’t do enough with it. There were some brilliant flowing moves and Lewis Dobbin had his best game with the Ram on his chest so far. But, if Derby are to stop dropping points, as Liam Rosenior and Richard Stearman told BBC Radio Derby they think they have in both of their away games so far, need to be more clinical, and take more risks in the final third.
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