The last time Derby County faced Middlesbrough, the build up was dominated by the news of the settlement reached between Boro owner Steve Gibson and former Rams owner Mel Morris. This time, on the eve of Championship football returning to Pride Park, the saga that finally came to an end was Derby’s weeks-long pursuit of a new number one. Swedish goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström completed his transfer from Djurgården on Friday, signing a three-year deal, but would have to wait for his debut.
Zetterström watched on from the bench as his presumed understudy Josh Vickers put in a stunning display behind a resolute defence to help Derby to their first three points of the season.
After fielding a much-changed side in midweek, Paul Warne’s team featured just the one alteration to the starting XI that lost 4-2 at Ewood Park, James Collins starting ahead of Tom Barkhuizen, with Kayden Jackson playing on the right wing, rather than up front.
Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough had made a strong start to the season with a dominant 1-0 win over Swansea followed by a comprehensive 3-0 victory away to Leeds in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. An established Championship side, seen as playoff contenders by many, including Paul Warne, Boro were expected to provide a tough test.
The visitors looked comfortable on the ball from the first minute – a trend which would continue throughout the match with Carrick’s side having 70% possession - though Derby did cause problems via overloads on the flanks.
Boro’s Emmanuel Latte Lath would have the first real chance of the game, getting on the end of Isiah Jones’ first-time pass to fire wide from a tight angle at the back post. It was a sign of things to come, with the team in red able to put together slick attacking moves without having anything to show for it.
Derby’s first effort of the afternoon came as Kayden Jackson pounced onto the ball that Luke Ayling had hoofed high into the air and struck it fist time. The save for Dieng a fairly routine one.
Jackson wouldn’t have to wait long for another chance though. Derby cleared fin Azaz’s out-swinging corner away as far as Isiah Jones. 35 yards from the Derby goal, he opted to look for Dieng behind him, but his pass was dreadful, allowing Jackson to latch onto it. With defenders unable to keep up with the former Ipswich man’s electrifying pace, Jackson was effectively one-on-one with Seny Dieng from the halfway line, motoring forward before rounding the ‘keeper 12 yards out and slotting the ball in for his second Pride Park goal in five days.
It was a goal not dissimilar to a hockey penalty; Jackson’s icy composure sending the Rams fans into raptures.
But it was far from all positive for the hosts, who would suffer two injury blows in five minutes with Eiran Cashin going off with concussion and being replaced by Sonny Bradley. Kane Wilson then went off with a hamstring issue, Ryan Nyambe his substitute.
With the Rams defence rejigged, it took a little while for them to settle. Finn Azaz had a couple of opportunities from distance, beaten away by a strong hand from Josh Vickers, who made another great stop in the final of five minutes of first half stoppage time, getting down to his right to deny Isiah Jones after a classy one-two with Finn Azaz.
Ryan Nyambe won the Rams’ first corner of the afternoon early in the second half. From the right, Ben Osborn played it short to Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, who’s cross to the back post was headed back across goal by Sonny Bradley. After a Middlesbrough man got his head on it, the ball dropped to Ben Osborn, his effort from 13 yards ricocheting off a visiting defender.
When Ebou Adams was introduced in the 62nd minute, taking the place of Kenzo Goudmijn, Derby were trying to weather the storm of Boro chances. The Gambian, as we have come to expect, was relentless in his pressing and closing down, but did so from the front, appearing to join James Collins up top in a 4-4-2 out of possession. It may have been unorthodox, but it was effective, as the move seemed to push Carrick’s men further back, forcing them to take pot-shots from range, such as Hayden Hackney’s 65th minute effort from 35 yards, which Vickers got a strong right hand to.
Delano Burgzorg thought he had equalised when he connected with Hayden Hackney’s ball over the top to find the bottom right corner with a diving header, only to be denied by the offside flag.
The Rams had another lucky escape when Isiah Jones’ effort from 17 yards cannoned off the woodwork via a Sonny Bradley deflection.
But ultimately, a spirited Derby side would hold on for their first league win of the season.
Analysis: Ground it out
Derby dug incredibly deep in front of a nearly 30,000-strong crowd, the ‘twelfth man’ arguably a factor in getting them over the line. Their first home league game has showed what the Rams will need to do if they are to stay in the division. Remain structured and disciplined, defend together as a unit, play with real grit and ride their luck at times. In doing so, they could make Pride Park a fortress.
Paul Warne knew that his team were coming up against a superior side, physically and technically, so set up to frustrate them, hold firm and pounce on any mistakes, as Kayden Jackson did. It was far from pretty, and on another day the result could have been very different, but the ability to produce this type of spirited performance, with every player pulling in the same direction can be crucial in a relegation battle.
The inability to win first and second balls was a concern throughout, but the gulf between the two teams, on paper at least, must be considered.
No one in a Derby shirt had a bad game, but the entirety of the back four that ended the game were impressive. Ryan Nyambe showed that he is a solid right back at this level, and the best one-on-one defender at the club, whilst Curtis Nelson’s performance was akin to the gigantic displays of last season. Sonny Bradley was a great leader at the back, willing to get stuck in, as was Craig Forsyth when he came on. After a difficult first season at the club, Callum Elder had his best game in a Derby shirt, barely putting a foot wrong.
In midfield, David Ozoh had a couple of shaky moments, but was imperious overall, showing the star quality that means Crystal Palace fans rate him so highly, with a 90% pass accuracy whilst also winning seven of his ten duels. He was an imposing presence on the game at just nineteen, resolute in his defensive work.
Next to Ozoh, Ben Osborn was dogged, running himself into the ground to cover every blade of grass. After Ozoh was left exposed in midfield against Blackburn, with both Osborn and Goudmijn drifting wide, the balance seemed better against Boro. He was there to cover for and support his young midfield colleagues, whilst also continuing to drop back to left-back-like positions when Elder went forward, provide overlaps on the left flank himself, and even pop up with a chance to score! He was the heartbeat of the Derby side.
But the biggest plaudits and the final word must go to Josh Vickers. I’ve talked about ‘resilience’ throughout this piece in a footballing sense. But Derby’s number 31 embodies it in the wider context of life. Having been through unimaginable tragedy that you wouldn’t wish on anyone, I wouldn’t blame him for lacking drive. However, Vickers has served the club diligently, playing every game throughout pre-season whilst knowing that somebody is coming to take your job, however well you do. The 28-year-old took a fair amount of criticism in that time too. Yet he was pretty faultless in the Rams’ first two competitive games, and then produced a display that was – in a footballing context – heroic. After a performance to match his incredible strength of character, can Warne drop Josh Vickers?
Derby (4-3-3): Vickers (GK); Wilson (Nyambe 25’), Nelson, Cashin (Bradley 20’), Elder; Goudmijn (Adams 62’), Ozoh (Forsyth 76’), Osborn; Jackson, Collins (Thompson 76’), Mendez-Laing (C) (Barkhuizen 76’).
Substitutes not used: Zetterström (GK), Ward, Brown.
Middlesborough (4-2-3-1): Dieng (GK); Ayling (C), van den Berg, Clarke, Engel; Hackney (Coburn 90’), Morris (Barlaser 68’); Jones (Hamilton 68’), Azaz (Conway 78’), Burgzorg; Latte Lath.
Substitutes not used: Brynn (GK), McCormick, Hunt, Dijksteel, Gilbert.
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