Derby County regained control of their own destiny with a comfortable 3-0 victory at home to Leyton Orient as Bolton Wanderers and Peterborough United dropped points.
Three corner goals saw Paul Warne’s side beat the club record for most points in a season with their current total of 86 bettering the total of 85 points under Steve McLaren in the 2013-14 season.
Warne made two changes to his previous starting XI, whilst changing formation and setting his side up in a 3-4-1-2. Sonny Bradley returned to the team after his three-match ban, and Liam Thompson also started as Conor Washington and Corey Blackett-Taylor dropped to the bench.
Derby started on the front foot, but their first boost came from elsewhere, cheers ringing out as the news of Abdul Kamara’s early goal for Portsmouth spread around Pride Park.
The Rams would score themselves just a couple of minutes later. Having had an early cross-shot saved, Ebou Adams won the home side’s first corner of the afternoon with more positive play after his shot deflected wide.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing would deliver the perfect ball to the back post which it initially looked as though Kane Wilson had got something on as he wheeled away in celebration, only for it to soon be declared an own goal from Orient midfielder George Moncur.
A second corner for Paul Warne’s side would result in a second goal, Louie Sibley’s delivery similarly pinpoint. The number 17’s in-swinging ball was right into the danger area, and Sonny Bradley volleyed it into the roof of the net from a yard out with a finish most strikers would be proud of.
Further good news would soon come from elsewhere in League One, as Mark Harris put Oxford in front from the spot at home to Peterborough, the first of five goals the U’s would put past Darren Ferguson’s side without reply.
There were few chances throughout the rest of the first half, but the Rams remained in control. Bolton Wanderers, meanwhile, were dominating Portsmouth, and got a deserved equaliser through Aaron Collins nine minutes before the break.
Orient started the second half in a much stronger fashion than they had the first, Shaqai Forde and substitute Dan Agyei each having a go from just inside and just outside the box respectively.
A couple of chances would then fall the way of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, who kept the armband despite the return of vice-captain Sonny Bradley. In the 58th minute, he flicked the ball over the bar with his right foot, getting on the end of Louie Sibley’s low cross, before racing through on goal three minutes later, only to be denied by a good stop from Sol Brynn.
Having seen his shot from distance blocked by Sonny Bradley at the end of the first half, Ethan Galbraith would try again in the 64th minute, shooting over the bar after the ball was cut back to him by Ollie O’Neil.
Louie Sibley would make a surging run in behind and dink the ball just wide in the 68th minute, before Omar Beckles made a super block to deny James Collins what would have been a tap in moments later.
Collins would have another chance in the 77th minute. Sibley played a one-two with Mendez-Laing from a corner before crossing for Derby’s number nine, who flicked a glancing header over the bar.
The visitors began to threaten after a double change which saw the introduction of Obiero and Sanders, with the substitution of Liam Thompson happening for Derby at the same time. But the Rams would seal the win with four minutes to play, from their eleventh and final corner kick.
Conor Hourihane delivered a left footed in-swinger to the back post, where Sonny Bradley could head home for his second of the afternoon.
Conor Washington was one of four late substitutes for the Rams as they looked to run the clock down following the third goal, and he could have, perhaps should have, scored in stoppage time.
He first headed wide from Tom Barkhuizen’s left footed cross, before missing again following the winger’s run from deep.
Analysis: Warne’s changes pay off as Bradley makes amends.
It was a pretty perfect afternoon for Derby, all things considered as every starting player put in a performance worthy of at least a seven out of ten. When the line-up was first announced many Rams fans were questioning the changes made by Paul Warne, with the move to drop two attackers for a defender and midfielder seen as too defensive. But the two biggest decisions made by the Head Coach, to immediately reinstate Sonny Bradley and revert to a back three, had a huge positive impact.
First, there is the obvious, in Bradley’s two goals, as the Rams showed once more how much of a threat they can be from set pieces after underwhelming deliveries last time out. Bradley offers a huge presence alongside Cashin and Nelson, both in defence, but also aerially in the opposition box. With his two goals, he has fairly made up for his rash red card at Sixfields.
More interestingly, a back three/five can be seen as a negative formation. Once again for Derby it was anything but, unleashing Kane Wilson and Louie Sibley. As I mentioned when reflecting on the Wycombe game, Derby’s full backs or wing backs have been a key attacking outlet this season, and after being nullified at Adams Park, this was a return to what we have come to expect.
Kane Wilson looked more comfortable than he has done in a back four. Although still doing a solid job as a full back, he had more licence for his usual fearless runs down the right. As for Louie Sibley, he was outstanding, having his best game since scoring twice at home to Port Vale at the beginning of March. As well as putting in some good deliveries from corners, he was relentless down the left flank, and looks much closer to natural as a left wing back, as opposed to left full back, able to drive into areas more like those he would have occupied as an attacking midfielder. He also had a great chance to score.
In terms of improvement in levels of attacking threat, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing also looked better. The forward has now gone eleven games without a goal, perhaps a little jaded at times of late, but he was back to being a huge problem for opposition defenders, particularly in the second half, going close to scoring. Whilst he wasn’t given the assist for his fabulous ball that resulted in Derby taking the lead, it was as good as, despite not counting towards his league-leading tally that remains at 15.
In addition to the back three, much of Derby’s best attacking play was enabled by endless work from the midfield trio of Korey Smith, who tended to sit deeper, Ebou Adams who would move further up the pitch in possession, and Liam Thompson who started in the ten-role pressing high and dropping in when needed.
It might sound counterproductive, but the addition of an extra central defender, and central midfielder seemed to boost Derby going forward.
Derby (3-4-1-2): Wildsmith (GK), Nelson, Bradley, Cashin, Wilson, Smith (Fornah 88’), Adams (Waghorn 89’), Sibley, Thompson (Hourihane 78’), Mendez-Laing (C) (Barkhuizen 88’), Collins (Washington 88’).
Substitutes not used: Vickers (GK), Blackett-Taylor.
Leyton Orient (4-2-3-1): Brynn (GK), Galbraith, Beckles, Simpson, James (Sanders 77’), Forde, Pratley (C) (Obiero 77’), Moncur (Hunt 63’), Brown, O’Neil, Edwards (Agyei 45’).
Substitutes not used: Howes (GK), Chinedu, Adu-Adjei.
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