Saturday Was Poor, But Things Might Be Looking Up

Jack Bryan is a football writer and life long Derby County supporter.

Given all that has gone on between Middlesbrough and Derby County in recent years, it was always going to be tense when the two sides met last Saturday, even if progress seems to have been made. Unfortunately, there were “pockets of disorder” at the Riverside Stadium and in Middlesbrough town centre, before, during and after the match, which led to 17 arrests. However, as Supt Dave Sutherland said: “The vast majority of fans were simply there to have an enjoyable afternoon watching their team” so I’m going to focus on the football.

Derby did well to silence the crowd in the first fifteen minutes, but Buchanan’s own goal (the Rams’ second in as many games) changed that. After some sloppy play from Derby, Isaiah Jones fizzed the ball into the box and Buchanan put the ball in his own net whilst attempting to clear it. From this point, the home side gained some momentum, and they could have had a second, Jonny Howson’s shot deflecting just wide.

Next, came some yellow cards, referee Mike Dean first booking Marcus Tavernier and Tom Lawrence in the twenty seventh minute, and then Matt Crooks four minutes later, for a bad foul on Max Bird. This could have, and Derby may argue should have, resulted in a red card being shown to the Boro midfielder. Bird was able to continue, and equalised in a brilliant fashion, his left-footed volley, struck from 25 yards out, going through a sea of players and past Joe Lumley in goal.

The game had been pretty even, and the scoreline reflected that until Middlesbrough scored two in quick succession, just before half time. Isaiah Jones assisted both Aaron Connolly’s shot from the edge of the box hit Curtis Davies, sending it to the opposite side of the goal to where Ryan Allsop was, and Matt Crooks’ tap-in which finished off a nice team move.

This left Derby with a mountain to climb, a real test of resilience for the young squad, who had played well until the final few minutes of the first half.

At half time, Festy Ebosele came on for Liam Thompson, but Derby’s fortunes didn’t change. Middlesbrough had almost all of the chances in the second half, Ryan Allsopp making a string of saves to prevent a fourth goal, Derby lacking movement and inviting pressure. And substitute Duncan Watmore scored with his first touch, with just a couple of minutes of normal time to play, condemning Wayne Rooney’s side to their heaviest defeat of the season.

Derby’s performance was below their usual standards on Saturday, something Rooney takes responsibility for, because he “tried something with Tom Lawrence and Luke Plange, to leave them high up the pitch and try and play a little bit on the counter attack”. But something the result caused me to realise, is the fact that this is the first time Derby have conceded three goals or more in a league game all season, an incredible feat considering the restrictions the club are under. Many may have expected heavy defeats to be a regular occurrence this season, but they haven’t been; Derby are still only four points behind Reading in 21st with a goal difference of minus three, the Royals and Peterborough also having lost at the weekend.

What is imperative if Derby are to stay up, is that they do not dwell on Saturday’s result, and are focused on the crucial game at home to Peterborough this weekend, by which time the Posh will have faced Reading. These are both relegation six-pointers.

Off the pitch, and as I have written many times over the past few weeks, looking at the bigger picture, there have been some developments which could be huge in securing our club’s future. On Friday it was announced that Middlesbrough Chairman Steve Gibson and ex-Derby Chairman Mel Morris ‘reached an accord on a resolution of the claims by Middlesbrough Football Club against Derby County Football Club, and others.’

According to Carl Jackson, one of Derby’s joint Administrators, “an acceptable resolution has been identified which allows us to move forward with our plans for the sale of the club.” This was something Andrew Hosking, also one of Derby’s joint Administrators called ‘a huge breakthrough’ in an interview with BBC Radio Derby. In that same interview, he also said: “I think fans will be pleasantly surprised at the speed things will move at.”

These developments seem very positive, let’s hope there is light at the end of the tunnel.