Derby County’s ten-game unbeaten run at Pride Park Stadium came to they were downed in a hardy battle against Norwich City on Saturday.
Borja Sainz’s hat-trick saw the Canaries take the lead twice, as Craig Forsyth’s second-half equaliser was cancelled out by the attacker, as he looked to have put the game to bed late on.
Corey Blackett-Taylor’s strike in added time spurred a late flourish from Derby, but the visitors held on to take all three points at Pride Park in a 3-2 victory - the first team to do so in the 2024/25 Sky Bet Championship.
Kayden Jackson had Derby’s first shot at goal in the second minute, when Nathaniel Mendez-Laing played a cross with the outside of his boot that met the Rams' attacker in space on the opposite flank. However, Jackson fired the ball wide of the mark at the far post.
The Canaries centre-back José Córdoba registered the visitors’ first real chance after eight minutes as he connected with a whipped corner delivery but could only send the ball over the crossbar.
Jacob Widell Zetterström’s first intervention was crucial, as Derby only had ten men on the pitch with Ebou Adams receiving treatment on the sidelines. He smelt danger and came off his line to snuff out the danger as Josh Sargent was played into a promising position one-on-one with the Derby goalkeeper.
Jerry Yates nearly poked the Rams ahead from a long free-kick, as Eiran Cashin’s overhead kick knocked the ball onto the striker in front of the goal. But his stretching effort was denied by Angus Gunn in the Canaries net, and the offside flag was waived, but Derby’s influence was growing in the match.
Marcelino Núñez’s out-swinging corner was met with a stinging low strike from Canaries winger Sainz after the half-hour mark, but the ball spun through a sea of legs in the box and wide of the target.
The visitors came close towards the end of the first period an outstanding piece of defending from Cashin saw the Rams centre-back block a sure-fire finish from Sargent at the far post.
Norwich took the lead moments later though, as Sargent was played through and was denied by Zetterström, but the follow-up was tucked away by Sainz to give the visitors a goal advantage - despite calls that the ball had gone beyond the by-line before Sargent’s cross.
The second half began in tense fashion with both sides putting together spells of possession, but neither team claimed a clear-cut opportunity.
But that was broken on the hour when Forsyth equalised as he swept the ball into the back of the net with confidence after emerging into space from the far post to meet Curtis Nelson's knock-down from Mendez-Laing's corner.
Cashin looked to give the Rams the lead two minutes later when he met a high cross with his head, but Gunn got behind the ball to collect it.
Sainz was at the double for Norwich to give them the lead again, against the run of play. The attacker struck the ball hard and low from 25 yards out beyond the reach Zetterström.
A triple substitution by Paul Warne looked to shake things up in the game, with Ryan Nyambe, Mendez-Laing and Osborn making way for Kane Wilson, Marcus Harness and Tawanda Chirewa.
Cashin played a promising ball over the top of the Norwich defence for Jackson in the 75th minute, but the attacker couldn’t get in position to fire on target as he jostled for position with his marker.
Blackett-Taylor and James Collins were introduced to the field in the 81st minute, with Adams and Yates making way.
A thunderous effort from Cashin almost put the scoreline level moments later, as the centre-back struck the ball hard and true from 30 yards, but only saw the crossbar rattle as it struck the frame of the goal.
Despite the late fightback, Norwich hit Derby with a hammer blow as Sainz claimed his hat-trick scoring on the break from close range.
But Blackett-Taylor got Derby within a goal’s reach in added time, as he cut inside and put the ball beyond Gunn to start a tense late showing.
Jackson came close to getting a dramatic late equaliser with a low drive but he was thwarted by Gunn from Harness' cross from the right.
Derby County: Zetterström; Nyambe (Wilson 69), Nelson, Cashin, Forsyth; Osborn (Chirewa 69), Adams (Blackett-Taylor 81), Goudmijn, Jackson, Mendez-Laing (C) (Harness 69), Yates (Collins 81).
Unused Substitutes: Vickers, Bradley, Phillips, Brown.
Norwich City: Gunn, Fisher (Stacey 77), Duffy, Córdoba, Doyle, Núñez, McClean (C), Crnac (Chrisene 77), Schwartau (Slimane 58), Sainz, Sargent.
Unused Substitutes: Long, Hanley, Amankwah, Gordon, Hills, Forsyth.
Referee: Oliver Langford
Assistant Referees: Mark Stevens, Richard Wild
Fourth Official: Simon Mather
28,915.
A three-game week will see the Rams travel to Sunderland on Tuesday 1st October (7:45pm kick-off) before returning to home soil to host Queens Park Rangers at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday 5th October (3pm kick-off).
