3/1 To Win
Two quick fire goals saw Derby County fall to a 2-1 home defeat to Blackburn Rovers in the Sky Bet Championship
The Rams looked set to be on the way to all three points when Matěj Vydra opened his account for the season with a low finish with 20 minutes remaining, but the visitors hit back to turn their game on its head soon after.
Marvin Emnes levelled matters within a minute at the iPro Stadium with a deflected strike, before Danny Graham stepped off the substitutes bench finished off a fine team move as Blackburn recorded back-to-back wins in the Sky Bet Championship.
That all came after Ben Marshall had also missed a first half penalty, cracking the post with a low effort, before turning the ricochet wide.
Before a second half that was frantic and end to end at times, the start of this Championship clash was a slow burner as both sides failed to create any early openings.
Far from slow, however, Sam Gallagher, the Southampton loanee, started strongly, displaying his pace early doors to a win a corner off Alex Pearce, before having a shout for a penalty waved away after nipping past Richard Keogh, but Scott Carson, just, beat him to the loose ball.
Like they say about buses, after a 20-minute spell of waiting, three good chances came one after another for the hosts at the iPro Stadium.
First, a fine diagonal ball saw Ikechi Anya head the ball back into the path of Vydra, but the Czech Republic international could only a screw a shot away from goal and into the path of Darren Bent, who could only acrobatically turn the ball wide.
Just two minutes later, Derby did have the ball in the back of the net, but Anya had timed his run a half second too early after he had been smartly picked out by Vydra's threaded pass.
The Rams’ first shot on target then followed. Craig Bryson teed the ball up invitingly for Jacob Butterfield to strike on the volley, but his effort was palmed behind for a corner by Jason Steele.
Bryson, himself, was denied by the Blackburn goalkeeper after the half hour mark, but despite all that, Owen Coyle’s side had the best opportunity to break the deadlock after Andrew Madley, the referee, pointed to the penalty spot.
Emnes did the hard work, cutting inside to flick a high ball beyond Richard Keogh, who left his leg dangling and hauled the Swansea City loanee down in the process, leaving Madley with no choice.
Ben Marshall stepped up, but hit his firm spot kick on to Carson’s left side post and as the ball ricocheted back into his path, the former Leicester City man could only turn the ball wide.
It looked as though it could have been a big moment for Derby as the contest entered the interval level, but the second half continued in the same vain as Rovers frustrated Pearson’s side.
There were two further chances for the hosts before the hour mark. Will Hughes drove an early shot harmlessly over the crossbar, whilst Steele made a routine save to deny Vydra after he connected with a precise cross from Christie.
Pearson signalled his intent with making two positive changes – introducing Nick Blackman and Andreas Weimann in place of Bent and Bryson – and the impact was instant.
The Rams quickly worked the ball forward to Anya, who slipped a pass through to Vydra to smack a low cross shot into the far bottom corner for his first goal since joining from Watford last month.
What came after stunned the iPro Stadium, however, as Rovers hit back to turn the game on its head and take the lead.
Emnes replied instantly to level matters as the striker’s deflected strike bobbled past Carson and into the back of the net, before Graham stepped off the substitutes to fire Coyle’s men in front three minutes later.
In between those efforts, Blackman, playing against his former club, had presented Vydra the chance to double his tally for the afternoon, crossing perfectly for the forward who was thwarted, superbly, by Steele.
The 24-year-old had a further chance too with 10 minutes, as he turned over Anya’s cross, whilst Blackman shot wide in the dying stages as Derby fell to defeat.
Derby County: Carson, Christie, Keogh (C), Pearce, Olsson (Ince, 78); Butterfield, Bryson (Weimann, 68), Hughes, Anya; Vydra, Bent (Blackman, 68)
Substitutes not used: Mitchell, Baird, Johnson, Elsnik
Blackburn Rovers: Steele, Greer, Hoban, Williams, Lowe (C), Marshall, Emnes (Lenihan, 90), Gallagher (Graham, 66), Guthrie, Evans, Conway
Substitutes not used: Raya, Feeney, Samuelsen, Akpan, Brown
Attendance: 26,602 (523 Blackburn supporters)
