Derby County fell to a 2-1 defeat against Swansea City at Pride Park Stadium on Wednesday night, despite a strong second half
fightback.
The Rams came into the fixture off the back of a 1-1 draw with Preston North End on Saturday, while the away side were defeated as they held their own in a dramatic game at home to league-leaders Leeds United on Sunday, that ended 4-3.
Žan Vipotnik’s strike after just two minutes and Ronald Pereira Martins’ goal ten minutes later saw the away side take a two-goal lead early on.
Forward Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s penalty had Derby back in the match just after the
hour mark and set up a late push for points by Paul Warne’s side, but Swansea held on to inflict a rare home loss on the Rams.
The away team got out of the blocks the quickest as Vipotnik opened the scoring early on when he struck a stinging left-footed effort on the turn from just inside the box that flew into the net and gave Derby goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström no chance to save.
Left-back Callum Elder had claim for a penalty in the eighth minute when defender Ben Cabango halted his surging run into the penalty area, but the referee waves the appeals away.
Kane Wilson had a chance when he met Mendez-Laing’s free-kick delivery moments later, but he couldn’t get a strong enough connection on the ball to trouble Lawrence Vigouroux in the Swansea net.
Pereira Martins doubled the lead for the Swans in the 13th minute when he ran in behind the Rams' defence from the left-hand side and kept his cool by slotting home a neat finish.
Centre-back Curtis Nelson had the Rams’ most clear-cut opportunity of the first period when he connected with Elder’s corner delivery and sent the ball towards the bottom corner in the 30th minute. Vigouroux, however, was alive to the danger though and the ball was steered away from danger.
Corey Blackett-Taylor’s high cross into the area looked to create a chance when Harness troubled Vigouroux to drop the ball into the path of Kayden Jackson. Defender Harry Darling kept the scoreline at 2-0 though, with a block off the line.
A tenacious run from Wilson in the 39th minute looked to liven up the Derby attack after a spell of Swansea possession. The run found Kenzo Goudmijn on the edge of the penalty box, but the Dutch midfielder dragged his long-shot wide of the target.
Another chance came minutes later when Goudmijn switched the ball to Mendez-Laing on the right wing. The captain’s cross into the box met the head of Marcus Harness, but the Swansea goalkeeper was able to get his body behind the ball and sweep it up.
Harness was the danger again for the Rams before the half-time whistle as he ran towards goal and unleashed a strike that hit Darling’s leg and looped just over the crossbar and out for a corner.
The resulting corner was met by Cashin, who headed goalwards but was denied by a sea of Swansea defenders in front of the goal and the teams went into the break with the visitors two goals ahead.
Vigouroux made a stretching save to deny Harness who sweetly connected with a volley from Mendez-Laing’s cross in the 48th minute. Jackson came close with follow-up but was thwarted by the frame of the goal as the Rams upped the intensity.
Derby rang the changes after an hour of play with Craig Forsyth, Liam Thompson and Tom Barkhuizen entering the field of play as Elder, Blackett-Taylor and Goudmijn made way.
The substitutions gave the Rams fresh attacking impetus - Barkhuizen sprang into life, with his second act of the match giving Derby a golden chance as he was fouled just inside the box to win a penalty. Mendez-Laing stepped up and tucked the chance away with confidence to reduce the deficit to one goal with a low finish.
Jackson looked to trouble the Swans’ shot-stopper when he squirmed through a narrow gap in the defence to shoot from the edge of the box in the 73rd minute. His effort bounced dangerously towards the net but Vigouroux was there to save.
Dajaune Brown and James Collins were substituted on for Harness and Jackson as the Rams chased an equaliser as the clock ticked down.
Midfielder Ebou Adams’ curling long-range effort in the 85th minute whistled just past the crossbar, before the resulting goal-kick saw Swansea with crossed wires at the back. However, the error was swept up by the defence before Brown could pounce.
Despite late pressure, Derby were unable to get back onto level terms and the Swans claimed the three points.
Derby County: Zetterström (GK), Wilson, Nelson, Cashin, Elder (Forsyth 61), Adams, Goudmijn (Thompson 61), Harness (Collins 79), Jackson (Brown 79), Blackett-Taylor (Barkhuizen 61), Mendez-Laing (C).
Unused Substitutes: Vickers (GK), Bradley, Osborn, Phillips.
Swansea City: Vigouroux (GK), Cabango, Darling (Christie 59), Grimes (C), Vipotnik (Bianchini 67), Tymon, Peart-Harris, Franco, Cullen, Naughton (Bianchini 67), Pereira Martins.
Unused Substitutes: McLaughlin (GK), Fulton, Allen, Tjoe-a-on, Abbey, Abdulai.
Referee: Ben Toner
Assistant Referees: Hugh Gilroy, Carl Fitch-Jackson
Fourth Official: Josh Smith
25,141 (491 away supporters).
Derby will be back in Sky Bet Championship action at Pride Park Stadium to face Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday 1st December (3pm kick-off).
