December’s task for Derby County on the pitch was much more straight to the point than the seemingly never-ending November in the month prior.
The final month of the calendar year would see Derby play five fixtures, all in Sky Bet League One.
With three of them coming at Pride Park Stadium, it was a perfect opportunity for the Rams to solidify themselves among the division’s top six going into 2023.
Here, dcfc.co.uk has taken a look back at December’s action…
03/12 - Derby County 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday (Sky Bet League One)
December kicked off with arguably the biggest test of the month in the shape of automatic promotion chasing Sheffield Wednesday.
Both teams went into the game boasting the best form in the division and the visitors knew a victory would take them to the top of League One whilst the Rams knew three points would move them into the top six.
It was a match that went very much how the form book would suggest with the two battling greatly but ultimately cancelling each other out.
Neither were able to carve out a real clear-cut chance on the day and the points were shared.
10/12 - Burton Albion 1-1 Derby County (Sky Bet League One)
The first road trip of the month would be the shortest of the year as the Rams headed down the A38 to Burton Albion.
Despite the Brewers’ lowly position going into the match they, like Sheffield Wednesday, went into it in a solid run of form.
First-half dominance from the Rams however looked to blow that out of the water and they went into break deservedly leading 1-0 thanks to an early James Collins header.
Burton came back stronger in the second half though and after Lewis Dobbin squandered an early chance to put the game to bed - Victor Adeboyejo levelled things up with just 10 minutes to go and Paul Warne’s men had to settle with two points from six to open December.
17/12 - Derby County 4-0 Forest Green Rovers (Sky Bet League One)
After two successive draws to start the month, a win against Forest Green Rovers going into Christmas felt like a must for the Rams.
And a win is exactly what they got, in emphatic fashion.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing opened the scoring early doors with a lovely finish to set Derby on the right track and that was followed up by a sublime David McGoldrick hat-trick.
After bagging his first before the break to put the Rams in cruise control, he went on to add two more in the second half and complete his second hat-trick of the season.
The three points ensured that Warne’s side would be in the Sky Bet League One play-off places for Christmas.
27/12 - Bolton Wanderers 0-0 Derby County (Sky Bet League One)
The first of the festive fixtures came on the road against top six rivals Bolton Wanderers.
One point and one place separated the two sides going into the contest and that translated onto the pitch once the game had got underway.
The home team had the better of the first half with the Rams having the better of the second, but neither were able to create anything real clear-cut in front of goal.
Rain poured relentlessly for the 90 minutes and the two ultimately cancelled each other out. It was another point on the road for the Rams who moved to 13 unbeaten in all competitions.
30/12 - Derby County 1-0 Cambridge United (Sky Bet League One)
The month and the calendar year was rounded off in perfect fashion as the Rams picked up all three points at Pride Park Stadium.
Whilst it was by no means a classic, the Rams dominated for the majority of the game and got their just deserts in the second half when Lewis Dobbin scored his first ever league goal.
Dobbin, on loan from Everton, got on the end of a perfect delivery from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and powered a header into the back of the Cambridge net to spark some great celebrations between the teenager and the coaching staff.
With Bolton drawing 1-1 at Lincoln City, the three points also ensured that the Rams moved into fifth in Sky Bet League One going into 2023.
Under-21s
December brought with it a great change in fortunes for the Under-21s and after going into it off the back of their first win at the end of November, confidence was high.
After a comfortable 4-0 win over Graham Street Prims to start December, in the Third Round of the Derbyshire Senior Cup, Pat Lyons’ men built on that by securing qualification from their Premier League Cup group.
An excellent 3-0 win at Moor Farm over AFC Bournemouth, thanks to goals from Darren Robinson, Lennon Wheeldon and Dajaune Brown, was followed up by an impressive 2-1 victory away at Brighton & Hove Albion with Ola Ibrahim and Osazee Aghatise the goalscorers.
The results saw the Rams finish top of Group B with 11 points after three wins, two draws and just one defeat.
Under-18s
There was just one match for Jake Buxton’s youngsters over the course of December and it was one to forget as they lost out 5-1 to a strong Everton outfit in the Under-18 Premier League - North.
Adebayo Fapetu was on target to bag the consolation goal on the day at the Toffees’ Finch Farm Training Ground.
Derby County Women
Like the Under-18s, there was just one game for Derby County Women across the month and it was again one that ended in disappointing fashion as the Ewe Rams exited the FA Women’s National League Cup at the Second Round stage to Burnley.
After a hard-fought game which looked to be ending all square at 2-2, Burnley Women broke Derby hearts when they scored with the last kick of the game to ensure it was they and not the Ewe Rams who would progress.
Becky McGrother and Jess Camwell had cancelled out goals from Burnley’s Sarah Greenhalgh and Amaya Coleman-Evans but Evie Priestley scored deep into stoppage time for the visitors.