Derby County took a point away from Turf Moor after a battling
0-0 draw against Burnley in the Sky Bet Championship on Tuesday night.
The first half was a loose affair with neither team able to truly stamp their authority to claim the opening goal.
Jerry Yates came closest to the mark in the second period as he could only find the side netting from a tight angle, after being denied by goalkeeper James Trafford after being sent one-on-one.
Substiutte Marcus Harness also came close in added time as the Rams claimed a point on the road.
Derby’s first chance came in the sixth minute as Joe Ward won a corner after his cross from the right flank was deflected behind. The resulting set-piece saw Nat Phillips receive the ball at the back post and lay off Kenzo Goudmijn to shoot on the edge of the penalty area, but the Dutchman’s strike headed high and over the bar.
Burnley had the first effort on goal in the 10th minute, with Derby goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström forced to make a diving save to deny the Clarets’ captain Josh Brownhill’s curling effort following a quick counter-attack from the hosts.
Ebou Adams saw plenty of the ball on his return to action in the middle of the park as he broke up the play and shielded the ball in the opening exchanges, but Derby just couldn’t find the pass to open the play.
Jeremy Sarmiento snatched a shot after a neat one-two in the 18th minute saw him make space in the box to smash the ball towards goal. However, it struck the body of team-mate Brownhill who deflected the ball wide of the mark.
Adams struck a speculative strike from distance that deflected out for a corner in the 22nd minute, the resulting delivery from Ward whistled dangerously in front of the goal but couldn’t find a Derby head to finish.
Derby saw the flanks as a fruitful avenue to create opportunities with Ward, Elder and Goudmijn finding openings to cross from the wing, but the Rams were still left wanting with their final ball not being able to produce the crucial chance.
Eiran Cashin and Zetterström had to be sharp on the spot at the start of the second half when Zian Flemming looked to have been played into a goalscoring position in the penalty box, but the Rams’ goalkeeper and centre-back combined to snuff out the danger, with the goalkeeper collecting the ball.
Jerry Yates came agonisingly close to giving Derby the lead in the 58th minute when he was tidily played into a one-on-one with Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford by Goudmijn. Trafford saved the first shot and Yates stuck the rebound into the side netting from a tight angle.
Paul Warne made Derby’s first change of the game moments later, with Harness entering the field of play in place of Dajaune Brown. Kane Wilson and Kayden Jackson soon followed in the 69th minute, with Ward and Yates exiting.
Zetterström made a vital save in the 71st minute
as he rushed out to meet the shot of Luca Koleosho as the substitute sped into
what looked to be a scoring position in front of goal.
Goudmijn and Nat Phillips made way for the Rams’ next changes with Sonny Bradley and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing coming onto the field in the 76th minute with both sides pushing for a winning goal.
Liam Thompson hit one on the bounce from the edge of the area in the 79th minute the ball dipped towards goal but inched over the bar.
Adams provided a crucial block as Sarmiento hit a stinging strike through a packed penalty box and towards goal in the 84th minute.
Harness came inches away in the first minute of added time
when he hit a driven shot beyond the grasp of the goalkeeper and just wide of
the post, with both sides having to settle for a share of the spoils.
Burnley: Trafford (GK), Roberts, Humphrys, Estève, Sarmiento, Brownhill (C), Anthony (Hountondji 82), Cullen, Laurent (Koleosho 69), Flemming (Rodriguez 63), Pires.
Unused Substitutes: Hladký (GK), Worrall, Egan, Ekdal, Massengo, McDermott.
Derby County: Zetterström (GK), Ward (Wilson 69), Phillips (Bradley 76), Nelson, Cashin (C), Elder, Adams, Thompson, Goudmijn (Mendez-Laing 76), Brown (Harness 58), Yates (Jackson 69).
Unused Substitutes: Vickers (GK), Forsyth, Barkhuizen, Collins.
Referee: Andy Davies
Assistant Referees: Graham Kane, Blake Antrobus
Fourth Officials: David Webb
The Rams return to Pride Park Stadium in the Sky Bet Championship on Friday 13th December to face Portsmouth on home turf (8pm kick-off).
