Jack Bryan is a football writer and life long Derby County supporter.
Two excellent goals from David McGoldrick saw Derby claim a crucial win over Exeter City and keep their playoff hopes very much alive.
As has been the trend in recent games, a good chance fell Derby’s way early on, David McGoldrick’s cross finding Louie SIbley. The Irishman’s cross was to compatriot Jason Knight, who was denied by a great Jamal Blackman save.
After a quarter of an hour, Joe Wildsmith made what was easily one of the saves of the season to keep out Josh Key. Caprice, in space on the left flank put a great ball to the back post for Keys to powerfully head downwards from six yards out, but he was denied by Derby’s number one who got down low to his left and tipped the ball over the bar.
This was the peak in a spell of around 10 minutes in which Exeter were firmly in control before Derby regained most of the possession to half time, but they didn’t really do too much with it. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Louie Sibley looked dangerous at times playing more centrally, closer to McGoldrick, and were involved in a couple of chances just after the half hour mark.
After a lacklustre first 45, Derby came out for the second half with a new lease of life, playing at a much higher intensity.
Having peppered the Exeter goal since the break, the breakthrough came in the 52nd minute, after McGoldrick won a free kick slightly to the left of the D, a glorious touch having taken him away from the defender who could only pull him down.
Conor Hourihane took the set piece and teed up the shot, rolling the ball slightly to the right for McGoldrick to beautifully curl into the far corner. A spectacular way to give Derby a deserved lead and get his 20th league goal of the season.
Derby then pushed for a second, one goal leads weren’t enough for the Rams in their last two games. In the 73rd minute, Mendez-Laing fired over after a Hourihane cross from the left flank, and Curtis Davies headed a similar one over a couple of minutes later, darting forward from centre back, but it was McGoldrick who soon added the second to give his side some breathing space.
Knight won the first ball and found Derby’s number 10, who moved the ball to Mendez-Laing. He beat his man 1v1 and played a neat reverse ball back to Didzy, who took a touch and fired low across goal into the bottom left corner.
"We have a bit of a cheat code in Didzy," Midfielder Max Bird told BBC Radio Derby about after the match. "He just pops up at the times that we need him and it's fantastic that we have got him in the team."
That breathing space proved to be necessary with 11 minutes to play, Joe Wildsmith fumbling Josh Key’s cross, and substitute Jack Sparkes heading in at the back post. Derby had now made things more difficult for they managed to see the game out with a solid defensive effort.
After a disappointing first half, the second half was much closer to the football Warne and his staff want to see, Warne’s assistant Richie Barker telling Rams TV that they “were much the better team in the second half” after a first half which “wasn’t great” and that his side “deserved to win the game” but “it should have been more comfortable”.
Louie Sibley and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing did well in their new roles, once again able to operate without the defensive responsibilities they have had when playing as wingbacks. Both were able to offer more of a threat, and play in roles much closer to their best, and preferred, positions. Mendez-Laing in particular was key, his pace up front offering Derby a different dimension as the game progressed. At right wing back instead, was tireless midfielder Jason Knight, who worked hard as usual, and looked more comfortable defensively.
At the back, Curtis Davies was superb, commanding the defence and winning 80% of his duels, whilst Max Bird was solid in midfield starting after three games in which he made substitute appearances. Conor Hourihane regained his creative spark in the second half also, creating the most chances of any player on the pitch, putting in some good crosses when able to drift out to the left flank.
But of course, the star man was McGoldrick, a magician with the ball at his feet. Where would Derby be without him?
Derby remain 7th, outside the playoffs on goal difference, level on 72 points with Bolton Wanderers, though the Trotters have a game in hand and a goal difference of +23 compared to Derby’s +21. 5th placed Peterborough United, who have played 43 games, like Derby, have 73 points and a goal difference of +22. The Rams will continue their quest for a playoff place at home to Burton Albion at 3pm on Saturday.
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