My Derby Report

There's been so much written already about yesterday's match and I almost decided not to bother. It's always pointless repeating what others have already said but I am a bit bored watching England's laboured performance at The Oval so I'll run off a few lines and see where it goes. Who knows, I might even be able to come up with something new?

Unlike Tuesday night I was in my seat well ahead of kick off and the ground looked pretty empty at 2.30. Actually, it didn't look a lot better at 2.50 except that the away end were in full voice, as you would expect from nearly 4,000 away fans. Ours were still drifting in and, as always, there was a sudden rush at kick off time so, once the game was underway, the view from the ESL looked pretty good. Before I go on to the match itself, a brief mention for the scoreboard. I've already said it's perfectly adequate for what it does and the fact that there will never be many in their seats before kick off (or even at half time) you have to wonder what's the point in having a bigger, more content version. Who'd be there to watch it?

It was nice to hear the Wembley commentary booming out but let's not keep that going all season. We've been there and done that so it's time to concentrate on the glory days ahead. So, we were underway and, like most people, I had no expectations of the team. I remarked that we would probably lose, but let's hope it's not a 0-4 reverse. Oh me of little faith! We ripped into them from the off and kept up the relentless pace for most of the match. I wonder if that will affect their performance on Wednesday?

We always dream of an early goal and we got one, and what a cracker it was. Ryan Kent did well to retrieve an over hit cross from the left and calmly worked his way along the edge of the box before laying off a perfect ball for Conor Hourihane. After spending most of last season ignoring the shoot-on-sight policy that he adopted the year before, it looks like he has got it back again. He simply lashed the ball through the heavily populated area and then got lucky as it hit the inside of the post and rebounded into the net off Scott Carson's trailing leg. Great goal though and just what we needed. From then on the home crowd got louder and louder while the away fans got quieter.

We passed the ball around nicely, either sideways or long diagonals, and every player was getting involved. Young Kent looked well up for it and made an immediate impression on the Oakwell faithful. This could turn out to be a brilliant year-long loan signing, especially if he gets a goal or two to add to his industry. That shot in the second half was a corker but, unlike the skipper's, it came back out from the post and missed the keeper this time. There were plenty of other chances to score before we got the second which came, YET AGAIN, from a perfectly flighted ball from CH. It's just brilliant the way both he and Adam Hammill can place a ball just where they want it and, unlike Tuesday night, Alfie got his head on it for a downward header into the net. It was so good that it was right next to the keeper's feet but he couldn't stop it.

The game had plenty of errors of course - not every pass can be perfect - but the marvellous thing was that Derby were misplacing more passes than we were. There was one shocker from Josh Scowen in the first half which looked like he was kicking it out deliberately, but generally it was the opposition who were at fault more often. I think they were just overwhelmed by our urgency and skill on the ball. They can't have been expecting the game that we gave them and were deservedly beaten. Had it been 4-0 to us it would have been a fair result. The way Derby played they deserved exactly what they got and I hope those boos from their end were for Nigel Pearson as he walked off because we all love him, don't we

Perhaps it's worth mentioning discipline and good behaviour. I thought our players were remarkably restrained yesterday seeing as some of them were pulled down nearly every time we had a run at their defence. I was hoping Kent would jink into the box and get us a penalty but I suspect he will get a few for us this season. But what about this so-called new code the referees are adopting of zero tolerance for dissent? I'm sure everyone noticed how the Derby players that knew a booking was coming just walked arrogantly away, as if to say "you follow me ref, if you like". Once again we were subjected to a weak referee who did NOTHING about such displays of petulance. At least one of those incidents deserved a yellow for the foul and another one for showing no respect to the official.

Finally, with not long left to play, we saw what we always see from Hammill at least once in a match. Having tried to bamboozle their defenders and, mostly failed, he finally did that fantastic trick where he seems to burst through two of them as if they are not there. He was so far clear in the box at the Ponty End that it was surely goal number three coming up. It all went wrong though (if I remember correctly I think Kent made a poor choice when he was given the ball). It didn't matter though. When you are 2-0 up what better way to show your contempt for the opposition!

There's no need to give individual player assessments here - it's been done by others. All I will say is that from front to back we were MAGNIFICENT. Well played lads and let's do it all again on Wednesday. It's about time we beat QPR and then, of course, we owe Huddersfield one as well.

 

Great report, POR. Nicely celebratory and free of the vice of over-analysis. We can sometimes ignore the emotional aspect on here. As regards Wednesday, if we'd have been offered two draws ahead of these two games, we'd perhaps have taken that? As it is, we're already in front! COYR!

 

Thanks Orsen. Life's too short for analysis, isn't it? I go to enjoy my team playing well, even if the good bits only make up a fraction of the whole match.

Yesterday was like a cup tie from years ago. Wonder who we get in the next round?

 

QPR at home of course

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

So long as it's not Altrincham away I don't mind

 

I thought they'd scrapped timerider I was mortified

 

Thanks for that POR still recovering from operation so not able to get to Oakwell yet.

 

You're welcome and hope u get well soon

 

I hope we never scrap that. I liked how it was played when the team was already out there, instead of it starting several minutes before so that everyone loses interest.

Time rider will always be synonymous with the Premier League season for me.

 

Best read on here all weekend. Great stuff and spot on.

 

Thanks for that Spider. I never put any prior thought into my reports. I just write as things come into my head. Then, usually, I realise that I forgot something but never mind.