32,358. The number of people in attendance at Pride Park on Saturday, the magnitude of the game not lost on any of them. Okay, that’s probably hyperbole, but amongst the biggest crowd at Pride Park in more than seven years, this was certainly how it felt.
It was a potentially crucial day in the League One promotion race as league leaders Portsmouth travelled to fourth-place Peterborough United and Derby, in second, welcomed third-place Bolton Wanderers. The Rams were looking to right the wrongs of the reverse fixture. The Trotters after their first away league victory against Derby since 1981, which would have seen them move into second place.
After consecutive wins with an unchanged starting eleven, Paul Warne was forced to make a singular switch in personnel. With Sonny Bradley unwell, Craig Forsyth would slot into the middle of Derby’s back three for his first start since the 6th of January.
Derby played with intent from the first whistle, roars ringing out from the stands. But Bolton would slowly gain control of possession and register the first shot of the match after just over a quarter of an hour, Aaron Collins’ effort from the edge of the box blocked.
Jón Daði Böðvarsson looked almost certain to give the visitors the lead in the seventeenth minute. The Icelandic striker had a free header in the centre of the box, six yards out, after a great ball from Nathan Ogbeta on the left flank. But Joe Wildsmith got down to his left to make a splendid save.
The Rams would suffer a blow in the 21st minute, when Dwight Gayle’s afternoon ended due to injury. Korey Smith would come on, Paul Warne shuffling the pack, with Mendez-Laing and Barkhuizen up top, and Ebou Adams playing as the most advanced of the three central midfielders. Derby were without a recognised number nine once again.
Ebou Adams won Derby a free kick 25 yards from goal, in the inside right channel after 28 minutes. Joe Ward curled the ball to meet the run of Curtis Nelson, who had lost his marker, but he couldn’t direct his header downwards.
Derby had another chance after 35 minutes. Tom Barkhuizen got to the byline down the right and whipped the ball to the front post, where Mendez-Laing headed it wide.
Bolton had a good spell in the last few minutes before half time, Edmond-Paris Maghoma firing wide from the edge of the box. And despite Rams boss Paul Warne making a triple change at half time, it was the Trotters who started the second half on top, with a barrage of corners triggered by Josh Sheehan’s long-range effort, which Wildsmith pushed wide.
Wildsmith would make yet another save in the 64th minute, deny George Thomason who had driven inside from the right, before Bolton had another corner, which hit the bar.
In the final 20 minutes, the Rams started to get a bit more joy particularly down the right through Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Kane Wilson, the latter winning a corner in the 77th minute. Callum Elder would take the set piece, moments after coming on, and his first touch would be an assist. The Australian left back whipped the ball into the middle of the box, where Wilson could get his head on it and find the bottom left corner from six yards out.
The atmosphere had been impressive throughout. After Wilson’s header, though, the sense of electricity at Pride Park was relentless, the flock determined to see their side over the line.
Korey Smith would have a couple of attempts from outside the box in the final ten minutes, whilst Liam Thompson also had a go, but in seven minutes of stoppage time, Bolton would have one last push. Randall Williams looked to cause problems with a succession of long throws into the box from the left-hand side, but Derby defended resolutely, as they did all afternoon, for what is probably their biggest win of the season to date.
Analysis: Effective Changes and Flags!
Now four points clear of the play off places, and having won four in a row, Derby are undeniably in a strong position. But as Bolton boss Ian Evatt was very keen to stress in his post-match interview: “it isn’t over.” This is something that Paul Warne was keen to stress come full time too, having downplayed the importance of this one fixture in his media appearances throughout the week.
Though it certainly wasn’t a vintage performance from Derby, a lot went right for Warne’s side. They looked a threat from set pieces, defended with real heart and left everything on the pitch. The substitutions worked well, and not only because of the link up between Elder and Wilson for the goal. Liam Thompson was full of energy pressing high up the pitch throughout the second half, whilst Korey Smith was similarly industrious, likewise Ebou Adams.
Martyn Waghorn’s introduction was a wise move, giving the side a bit more presence up top given Gayle had been forced off, and Kane Wilson seemed to get a bit more joy than Joe Ward did down the right. The former Peterborough man has played a lot of football in the past week.
At the back, Cashin and Nelson were solid as ever, but plaudits must go to Craig Forsyth, who looked as though he’d never been away, despite only returning from a near two-month injury lay-off on Tuesday night. And then of course, there was Joe Wildsmith, who kept Derby in the game with superb saves to deny Böðvarsson and Thomason. There is a reason that many of his teammates and coaches ran over to him at full time.
In his post-match interview with BBC Radio Derby, Paul Warne had lots of praise for the fans, who “can definitely take a lot of credit today”. He seemed delighted that there were a number of flags on display, saying it “felt like a Champions League game.”
We can dream, but for now, let’s hope that we can look back on this at the end of the season as a big step towards promotion to the Championship.
Derby (3-4-1-2): Wildsmith (GK), Nelson, Forsyth, Cashin, Ward (Wilson 45’), Adams, Hourihane (C) (Thompson 45’), Sibley (Elder 77’), Barkhuizen (Waghorn 45’), Gayle (Smith 21’), Mendez-Laing.
Substitutes not used: Loach (GK), Blackett-Taylor.
Bolton (3-1-4-2): Coleman (GK), Jones, Santos (C), Toal, Sheehan, Dacres-Cogley, Thomason (Morley 84’), Maghoma (Dempsey 84’), Ogbeta (Williams 80’), Collins, Böðvarsson (Jerome 77’).
Substitutes not used: Hutchinson (GK), Iredale, Forrester.