A club record-breaking thirteenth away win of the season means that Derby County require just a point on the final day to secure promotion back to the Championship.
Paul Warne named an unchanged starting XI after the win over Leyton Orient a week ago, but his side weren’t in cruise control as they were against the O’s.
The game was very much end-to end for the first 15 minutes, in a frantic first half. Derby would go close from their first corner in the tenth minute, Louie Sibley’s in-swinging delivery nearly crept in, but Cambridge ‘keeper Will Mannion turned it over the bar for another corner, which he would punch away.
Right wing back Liam Bennett was the hosts’ biggest threat in the first half, and he caused havoc with a great cross in the fifteenth minute. Joe Wildsmith got a touch on it, but parried it to James Gibbons, who squared the ball to Macauley Bonne. The Gillingham loanee forced Wildsmith into a superb save, before Sonny Bradley cleared the follow-up effort off the line. Ebou Adams was perhaps fortunate not to give away a penalty, but the referee waived the home fans’ appeals and Derby cleared their lines.
Derby would go straight up the other end, Collins setting up Mendez-Laing, whose low shot from the right-hand side of the box lacked the necessary power to trouble Mannion. Liam Thompson then saw his effort from 15 yards blocked three minutes later.
Mendez-Laing again went close when, after a one-two with Louie Sibley from a corner, his cross-shot towards the far post from the left required Mannion to spring into action.
In the 38th minute, the Guatemalan International hit the bar after the ball broke to him 30 yards out. But just a minute later, he would break the deadlock. Derby broke from a Cambridge free kick, Louie Sibley driving forward in the middle of the park. Sibley sent a perfectly weighted through ball into the inside left channel. Mendez-Laing ran inside to come onto it 25 yards out, rounded Mannion, who had ventured outside of his box, and slotted it into the bottom right corner, sending the travelling fans into raptures.
Derby were deservedly ahead at the break, and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing had at last ended his goal drought, having looked threatening all afternoon, and in the prior game.
Louie Sibley and Liam Thompson combined well down the left nine minutes into the second half. Sibley then sung a cross to the back post, where Mendez-Laing fired wide.
Cambridge were the better side after the break, and Jordan Cousins would soon see an effort from distance whistle wide. The U’s continued to put the Rams under immense pressure, requiring them to make many blocks and hacked clearances throughout the second period.
With Derby losing the midfield battle, Warne attempted to change things in the final 20 minutes, Max Bird returning from injury and replacing Liam Thompson, whilst Tom Barkhuizen also came on with 15 minutes to play forming a front three with Collins and Mendez-Laing. But the Rams could only muster one further shot on goal. Having drifted in from the left, Louie Sibley made a great run into the box with 15 minutes to play, but his shot was tame and easy for Mannion to gather.
As the game entered six minutes of added time, Sonny Bradley crucially cleared Macauley Bonne’s header across goal, which substitute, and former Forest man Lyle Taylor looked ready to tap in. And despite Garry Monk’s side’s late efforts, the Rams came away with a win.
Analysis: Resolute defending leaves Derby on the brink of promotion.
With the way Derby ended the first half, few would have predicted the second half to be quite as nerve-wracking as it was.
On the other hand, it was a typical League One encounter, especially against a side fighting to avoid relegation. Paul Warne had prepared his side for “an ugly game” on a bone dry pitch, and that is exactly what they got, particularly in the second half. But faced with this, Derby showed some of their best qualities: work rate, togetherness, and determination.
The Rams lost the midfield battle and failed to get Kane Wilson into the game in the second half. This meant that Derby’s back three were faced with a lot to do in the second half and they did so superbly, defending relentlessly throughout. Paul Warne’s side made 32 clearances in the second half, more than they had to make in the entirety of their previous two games combined, and also more than they had to make at Fratton Park a few weeks ago.
Warne described the game as “horrific to watch”, with Sibley’s ball assist for Mendez-Laing “the only bit of class in the game”. He’s not wrong, though it should be said that Louie Sibley did well at wing back once again. Having struggled more in games where Derby weren’t in control, he put a in a real shift and looked well drilled in the second half, after being at his creative best for the goal.
The Rams only completed 52% of their passes in the game, their lowest percentage since the trip to Burton all the way back in August. The state of the pitch will have played a part in this, and in that respect, credit must go to Cambridge.
But due to some well-organised defending, one moment of attacking quality was enough for Derby, who now need just a point at home to bottom of the league Carlisle United on the final day to prompt a Pride Park promotion party.
Cambridge (3-4-1-2): Mannion (GK), R. Bennett, Rossi, Andrew, L. Bennett (Brophy 63’), Digby (C) (Lankester 72’), Cousins, Gibbons, Kachunga (Kaikai 80’), Bonne, Ahadme (Taylor 80’).
Substitutes not used: Chadwick (GK), Okedina, May.
Derby (3-4-1-2): Wildsmith (GK), Nelson, Bradley (C), Cashin, Wilson (Barkhuizen 76’), Smith, Adams, Sibley, Thompson (Bird 69’), Mendez-Laing (Waghorn, 90+2’), Collins.
Substitutes not used: Vickers (GK), Hourihane, Washington, Blackett-Taylor.
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