3/1 To Win
Derby County were forced to settle for a point as they played out a goalless draw with Brentford at the iPro Stadium, that despite a relentless and end-to-end second half.
Chances and endeavour were aplenty for both sides over an open second half, but neither side could force a winner as the final touch evaded both teams under the floodlights.
Although Steve McClaren’s men had to settle for a point in his second game in charge as manager, it did see Derby extend their unbeaten run to four games, whilst they also recorded their third clean sheet in that run of games too.
Before the second half sprung to life, the first half of this game was a slow burner, one contested between two sides keen to get the ball down and play.
For Derby, Jacob Butterfield was impressive and was pulling the strings in midfield – Ryan Woods for Brentford equally – as a lot of eye catching football was played without being rewarded with clean cut openings.
Of the few chances that were crafted, Ikechi Anya, who passed a late fitness test to feature against the Bees, saw an effort from an acute angle saved by Daniel Bentley – the first notable chance after 18 minutes of play.
Tom Ince sent a volley over soon after, Brentford failing to deal with a Derby corner, but as the contest began to open up, the visitors began to create their own openings.
Romaine Sawyers had their first – on 23 minutes – as the former Walsall man sent a header wide, whilst John Egan, the defender, registered the Bees’ best chance of the first 45 minutes as he forced Scott Carson into a fine save with another header.
The Rams had just shaded the half and looked the most likely to snatch a lead with the interval looming.
Ince’s whipped free kick, right of centre, had Bentley back pedalling, whilst the same man sent a long range drive harmlessly into the arms of the former Southend United goalkeeper as the two sides went into the break on level terms.
The one big blotch on what had been a relatively comfortable half for Steve McClaren’s men came in the former of an injury as Will Hughes was forced off, having taken a knock very early on in the game, after 24 minutes and was replaced by Craig Bryson.
The setback had not appeared to deter the Rams and they even returned for the second half strongly early doors, penning Brentford deep in their half, but they were faced with a similar story to the first 45 minutes and failed to force Bentley into any notable saves.
Dean Smith’s side weathered the storm and, again, responded retaking the game by the scruff of the neck.
Sawyers forced Carson into a fine save at his near post, whilst the Derby goalkeeper also had to be alert to claim Egan’s effort on the volley just moments later as the Bees turned up the heat.
The pendulum continued to swing at the iPro Stadium as Johnny Russell, who scored the winner against Leeds United the Saturday before, saw an effort cleared off the line and, later, Sawyers bent a vicious shot narrowly over Carson’s far upright.
Somehow, though, the game ended goalless – Derby’s third on home soil this term alone – but it is a result that notably stretched the Rams’ unbeaten run to four games ahead of the weekend’s trip to Huddersfield Town.
Derby County: Carson, Christie, Keogh (C), Pearce, Baird (Russell, 63); Johnson, Butterfield, Hughes (Bryson, 24); Ince, Anya, Vydra (Bent, 81)
Substitutes not used: Mitchell, Weimann, Hanson, Rawson
Brentford: Bentley, Colin, Bjelland (C), Saunders (Clarke, 71), Yennaris (McEachran, 80), Hogan, Egan, Woods, Sawyers, Kaikai (Macleod, 83), Barbet
Substitutes not used: Bonham, Hofmann, Kerschbaumer, Onariase
Attendance: 26,707 (624 away supporters)
