Dajaune Brown's first Derby County goal earned the side a point in a 1-1 draw against Hull City at Pride Park Stadium in the Sky Bet Championship on Saturday.
Brown’s goal in the 66th minute cancelled out Xavier Simons’ long-range strike at the start of the second period.
The Rams entered the fixture aiming to build on two 1-1 draws away from home earlier in the week, after earning a point at Millwall and Oxford United in back-to-back away matches.
The game came to life in the seventh minute when Craig Forsyth’s high clearance caused a Hull error in the middle of the park that caught out Tigers goalkeeper Ivor Pandur. It looked like the Rams could profit but the ball bounced kindly and sent Hull back on the attack.
Curtis Nelson stemmed the dangerous-looking attack that followed with a well-timed tackle on midfielder Simons in Derby’s penalty area. Ebou Adams performed the same feat moments later as Simons looked to be the target for the Tigers’ threat.
Nelson was faultless again in defence, denying striker Chris Bedia as he looked to make space in the box.
Derby looked for a platform to build on, and a quick counter looked to be the route, as Marcus Harness fizzed the ball to Kayden Jackson on the right flank.
The winger found Kane Wilson emerging into the penalty area, but he got his feet caught under the ball before he could fashion a clear-cut chance.
Jacob Widell Zetterström was called into action for the first time in the 19th minute as Derby’s Swedish shot-stopper got behind a stinging long-range effort by Hull winger Mohamed Belloumi.
The Rams' closest chance of the first period came in the 28th minute when Wilson had space to head on goal from a corner. goalkeeper Pandur got behind the shot to deny the wing-back from close range.
Derby grew into the contest after the chance, with Adams getting two opportunities and Mendez-Laing threatening but the Tigers' defence remained solid to keep the Rams at bay. Marcus Harness also flashed an effort across the goal that was stopped by an athletic block from Cody Drameh.
Bedia ran at the Derby defence in the 34th minute but was shepherded wide by Nelson and blazed the ball over the bar from a tight angle.
The sides went into the half-time break with the game goalless.
Derby's Jackson was played in behind on the right flank for the first opportunity of the second period, but the ball bounced awkwardly and the attacker’s cross into the box couldn’t impose a threat.
The visitors took the lead in the 57th minute as a diagonal strike from Simons from 25 yards out went beyond the reach of Zetterström and nestled into the bottom corner.
Warne made Derby’s first changes of the match in the 59th minute with Brown, Corey Blackett-Taylor and Ben Osborn taking the place of Yates, Mendez-Laing and Kenzo Goudmijn.
Osborn’s corner delivery in the 62nd minute provided two near misses for the Rams as the ball headed towards Nelson at the far post that was cleared away before Adams spun a shot along the ground that dragged just wide.
Osborn’s next delivery proved fruitful as he sent in a free-kick from deep. Brown latched onto the spinning ball from deep to direct a looping header beyond the reach of Pandur and into the back of the net.
Nat Phillips and Liam Thompson looked to sure up the Rams side late on as they took the place of goalscorer Brown and Harness.
Blackett-Taylor’s late attempt fired just over the bar after the winger spun past his opposite number and into the penalty area.
In the end, both sides had to settle for a point.
Derby County: Zetterström, Wilson, Nelson, Cashin, Forsyth, Adams, Goudmijn (Osborn 59), Harness (Phillips 89), Jackson, Mendez-Laing (C) (Blackett-Taylor 59), Yates (Brown 59 (Thompson 89)).
Unused Substitutes: Vickers (GK), Bradley, Collins, Elder.
Hull City: Pandur (GK), Coyle (C), Hughes, Jones, Bedia, Simons, Puerta (Ömur 46), Drameh, Slater (Palmer 46), Belloumi (Burstow 82), Kamara (Pedro 63).
Unused Substitutes: Racioppi (GK), Giles, McLoughlin, Zambrano, Jarvis.
Referee: Tom Nield
Assistant Referees: Paul Hodskinson, Bhupinder Singh Gill
Fourth Official: Scott Simpson
29,877.
The Rams will return to the road on Saturday 2nd November against Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium (12:30pm kick-off).
