Pre-match: Oldham vs Notts

Grealish speaks to the press ahead of Oldham (Credit: Notts County Football Club)

After a strong 2-0 win against promotion hopefuls Swindon on Saturday, and relegation rivals Tranmere and Crewe failing to pick up points, Notts go into the last game of the season two points ahead of the drop, knowing that a single point away at Oldham will secure their survival, due to superior goal difference. Ahead of the Oldham game, Derry commented that:

It [Swindon] was an elation…this weekend is a huge game though. I don’t want to go with a defensive line-up…we need to play our football which has given us success.

Notts are currently fourth in the League One form table after a phenomenal spell, winning five games out of seven, and rescuing themselves from 10 points adrift at the bottom of the table. The Magpies, despite not needing any extra motivation ahead of their most important match of the season, will have taken note of what Oldham manager Lee Johnson mentioned ahead of the fixture however:

“I want our crowd to go for the jugular and help try to send a team down, without being too disrespectful.”

Notts will miss Hayden Mullins however, who was recalled to his parent club Birmingham earlier in the week, following a spate of injuries at the Midlands club who are also in a relegation battle of their own.County fans will take heart from the kind words said by the experienced Mullins about his young centre-half partner Haydn Hollis, who has become a regular in Derry’s team in recent weeks. It is expected that either Sheehan or Liddle will drop to centre half alongside Hollis, with Roberts or Vela filling their roles respectively, depending on the formation.

Derry hopes to bring Mullins back to Meadow Lane in the summer however:

It’s a blow, he was a leader for us, but somebody else will get an opportunity…I would love to bring Hayden back to the club in the summer though.

Looking back on the season, he acknowledged that the club had come a long way since he had arrived at the club, with togetherness of the squad being a prime reason for County’s resurgence. Looking ahead to next season, Derry wants to set out a plan that links the first team closer to the youth team, citing a potential set-up being that

‘I want 19 players who are ready to play for the first team, and the 5 or 6 who are training with the first team but are part of the u18s…I want to speed up the development squad, and then get some more young players into the Notts County team’

The young players involved with the side this season have been instrumental in the battle against relegation and have acquired a considerable amount of experience under pressure, taking them into next season. One in particular has been Jack Grealish, who earlier this week, was nominated for League One player of the month. Speaking to the press, ahead of his final game of the club before he goes back to Aston Villa, he praised his time at the club as being a great character builder:

Everything has changed since I joined County, it has helped my confidence…I have had Alan [Sheehan] behind me and reminding me of my defensive duties!

Commenting on the Oldham game, Grealish admitted: ‘I actually had a dream last night that we stayed up…I didn’t score though!’

League One table ahead of the final game of the season. Credit: (bbc.co.uk/sport)

Derry previews Swindon fixture

Derry speaks to the press. [Credit: Notts County Press Office]

With two games to go of the Football League season, the Magpies come up against a Swindon side which is still vying for a play-off spot. Notts go into the match, one point from safety after taking three points against Crawley on Easter Monday, but suffering a cruel 2-1 defeat at Ashton Gate at the hands of Bristol City, on Good Friday. Looking ahead of the tough fixture, Derry commented that:

This game brings up a different type of opposition…Swindon have to come here to win. They will have pressure on them, like us…John Gregory will have wanted to win on Monday, but Crawley didn’t need to win.

Looking back since he took over, the fans played a big part, which he has commented on in this weekend’s ‘The Mag’:

We have had some dark days away from home and here at Meadow lane, but they [the fans] have been right behind us. They will be a driving force for us…we’re the form team; you don’t get given that title, you earn it.

Though the Magpies are sitting one point from safety, they do have a superior goal difference to Carlisle, Tranmere, Colchester and Crewe, who are also battling to avoid the drop into League 2. All four have tough fixtures ahead, so Derry will hope to motivate his players to take at least four points from the next two games and ensure safety, results depending.

18	Colchester United	44	11	14	19	48	60	-12	47
19	Tranmere Rovers	44	12	11	21	51	75	-24	47
20	Crewe Alexandra	44	12	11	21	52	79	-27	47
21	Notts County	44	14	4	26	61	76	-15	46
22	Carlisle United	43	11	11	21	43	72	-29	44
23	Shrewsbury Town	44	9	14	21	41	60	-19	41
24	Stevenage	44	10	9	25	43	68	-25	39

Remaining fixtures

26/04/14

Bristol City v Crewe

Carlisle v Oldham

Colchester v Brentford

Leyton Orient

Notts County v Swindon

29/04/14

Crawley v Carlisle

03/05/14

Crewe v Bristol City

Oldham v Notts County

Tranmere v Bradford

Walsall v Colchester

Wolves v Carlisle

 

Looking forward to next season, the County manager speculated on the state of the pitch, given that Nottingham Rugby, and both the men’s and ladies’ team use the pitch every week, leading to a difficult situation for the ground staff:

‘It’s a Championship facility…I don’t know the contract [with Nottingham Rugby] and I understand that they have a business that they need to take care of too, I understand that…I just need to see what will help us get better and a better pitch will help that.’

Derry acknowledged the revenue that Nottingham Rugby does bring in however, and seeks talks over what can be done in order to help the facility progress.

 

Derby County 0 – 1 Leicester City

Leicester City ran out 1-0 winners against the Rams with a fortunate first-half own goal from Lee Grant after Jamie Vardy’s header was cleared off the line, only for it to strike Grant in the back and cannon back into the home net.

Jake Buxton went close early on for the Rams, with a half-chance cleared by the Foxes’ defence. The first half yielded a few chances, with Derby having more possession, but Leicester proving to be more potent with the ball. Richard Keogh gave Leicester their first chance, after getting caught in possession right in front of the penalty area, giving Vardy a one-on-one with Lee Grant where he ought to have scored.

Grant was forced into action again only moments later with another great save, denying Chris Wood on this occasion.  Despite the Leicester chances, Derby continued to have the better of possession, and eventually created another opening with a drilled shot from Craig Forsyth which was palmed away by Kasper Schmeichel.

However, in the 37th minute Leicester took a fortunate lead after Matty James’ corner was headed down by Vardy, taking a couple of deflections on the way through to goal, before being launched off the line by a Derby defender, striking Grant on the back and propelling back into the net. The goal was led by incredulous jubilance from Leicester, with the traveling fans feeling it necessary to let off flares to celebrate the own goal.

What followed the goal was ten minutes of Leicester dominance up until half-time, the Rams players looking rocked by the goal, and their opponents seemingly galvanised.

Derby came out in the second half and enjoyed another period of possession, but the same problem faced Nigel Clough’s men in the second half; the possession was positive, but the final ball was lacking, and the Rams couldn’t get it out of midfield and into the feet of Russell and Martin often enough. The result was a very simple day for Wes Morgan, who had a solid game, but was rarely threatened.

Derby created chances in the final fifteen minutes of the match, with the ever-impressive Will Hughes dragging the ball wide, and Jamie Ward coming on and shooting from distance, but none of the home team’s chances really tested Schmeichel and the Leicester back four were able to continue employing their high line.

 

Derby County

• 01 Grant
• 03 Forsyth
• 06 Keogh
• 17 Freeman Booked
• 25 Buxton
• 04 Bryson
• 07 Coutts (Ward – 71′ )
• 08 Hendrick
• 19 Hughes
• 09 Martin
• 11 Russell (Sammon – 79′ )

Substitutes

• 26 Legzdins
• 02 Smith
• 10 Ward
• 12 Jacobs
• 14 Eustace
• 16 Davies
• 18 Sammon

Leicester City

• 01 Schmeichel
• 02 De Laet
• 05 Morgan
• 15 Schlupp
• 18 Moore Booked
• 04 Drinkwater
• 08 James Booked (Dyer – 71′ )
• 10 King
• 09 Vardy (Waghorn – 79′ )
• 35 Nugent
• 39 Wood (Knockaert – 71′ )

Substitutes

• 25 Logan
• 06 Whitbread
• 21 Bakayogo
• 11 Dyer
• 16 Danns
• 14 Waghorn
• 24 Knockaert

 

Championship Standings

Position	Team	Played	Goal Difference	Points
View full table
1	Nottm Forest	3	5	9
2	Watford	3	6	7
3	Blackpool	3	3	7
4	Burnley	3	3	7
5	QPR	3	2	7
6	Leicester	3	2	7
7	Bournemouth	3	-3	6
8	Reading	3	1	5
9	Leeds	3	1	5
10	Derby	3	0	4
11	Middlesbrough	3	0	4
12	Huddersfield	3	0	4
13	Wigan	2	3	3
14	Ipswich	3	1	3
15	Doncaster	2	0	3
16	Brighton	3	-1	3
17	Birmingham	3	-1	3
18	Yeovil	3	-2	3
19	Bolton	3	-3	2
20	Charlton	3	-2	1
21	Sheff Wed	3	-2	1
22	Blackburn	3	-3	1
23	Barnsley	3	-5	1
24	Millwall	3	-5	0

Derby County 1 – 1 Blackburn Rovers

Honours even at Pride Park on the opening weekend. Photo credit: [telegraph.co.uk]

On an opening weekend Championship match in which both clubs celebrated their status as founding members of the football league, Leon Best struck late with an 89th minute goal to claim a well-deserved point for the visitors, after new boy Johnny Russell put the Rams ahead with a first-half penalty.

The match began with both sides trying to play positive football, however early-season sloppiness showed with passes not quite finding their men, and shots on target at a premium. Blackburn came closer with their efforts however, with Rhodes and debutant Alan Judge going closest.

With five minutes to go until half-time, the match sprung into life. Rubén Rochina was stretchered off with a dislocated shoulder, the crowd respectfully applauding his contribution.

Moments later, Rovers were further confounded by conceding a penalty after Marrow committed a handball in the box, denying Jake Buxton an attempt on goal in the process. Referee Attwell gave the penalty, but chose not to book Marrow, and Johnny Russell stepped up to score his first competitive goal for Derby County with a solid finish to the right of Goalkeeper Kean.

The Rams came out and continued their momentum off the back of Russell’s strike into the second half. Richard Keogh netted a second for the home team, but it was disallowed for offside.

The pivotal moment in the match came in the 62nd minute when goalscorer Russell, who looked lively, was substituted for Paul Coutts, altering the formation from 4-4-2 to 4-5-1, with the Rams reverting to more defensive tactics despite being in the ascendency.

Blackburn, sensing the shift in momentum, made substitutions themselves, bringing on Taylor and Cairney and pinning Derby back in their own half for the remaining thirty minutes.

Leon Best, who replaced Rochina in the first half, went close and should have scored, sliding into the back post with a strike from close range, which struck the post and cannoned back out, to the relief of 20,000 home fans.

Blackburn felt they had two penalty shouts towards the end of the match, with Rhodes going down under pressure from Buxton in the box, which was a half-hearted appeal. The second appeal however, carried significant weight. Rhodes was clearly chopped down in the box by Buxton and Keogh in injury time, with the Rams escaping a potential 2-1 loss at home and securing the point on the opening Championship weekend.

Lineups

Derby County 

– Grant

– Forsyth

– Keogh

– Freeman

– Buxton

– Bryson

– Hendrick

– Ward

– Hughes

– Martin

– Russell

Substitutes

– Legzdins
– Smith
 – Coutts
– Jacobs
– Eustace
– Davies
– Sammon

Blackburn Rover

– Kean

– Kane

– Spurr

– Hanley

– Dann

– Lowe

– King

– Marrow

– Judge

– Rhodes

– Rochina

Substitutes

– Eastwood

– Givet

– Dunn

– Olsson

– Taylor

– Cairney

– Best

Referee: Stuart Attwell

Match Statistics

Possession

Derby County – 45%
Blackburn Rovers – 55%

Shots

Derby County – 15Blackburn Rovers – 20

Shots on Target

Derby County – 5
Blackburn Rovers – 4

Corners

Derby County – 7
Blackburn Rovers – 7

Fouls

Derby County – 11
Blackburn Rovers – 15