3/1 To Win
Steve McClaren tasted defeat for the first time since returning for his second spell in charge of Derby County as Huddersfield Town left it late to secure all three points in West Yorkshire.
Elias Kachunga scored the decisive goal, into four minutes of added time, as he connected with a sweet cross from Harry Bunn to arrest their run of two consecutive defeats and maintain their strong start to the season.
The full-time whistle brought the curtain down on the latest three-game week for the Rams – the seventh of the season already for the club – and means that McClaren has secured a victory, a draw and a defeat from his first three games in charge of the club.
On the back of those consecutive defeats – to Sheffield Wednesday and Preston North End – Huddersfield began a tight first half strongly, quickly applying a high press on the Derby midfield as they attempted to craft early sights on goal.
Rajiv Van La Parra, in particular, looked a threat and registered the contest’s first shot on goal, but pulled his effort wide after bringing the ball inside from the left.
Following that, Johnny Russell, making his 150th Derby appearance, made a fine block to prevent Van La Parra from calling Scott Carson into action, whilst Dean Whitehead, the Terriers’ captain, saw an effort from the edge of the area blocked too.
Whilst Huddersfield’s high press was effective, Derby were wasteful in possession in the first 15 minutes and repeatedly handed David Wagner’s side the ball back in their half, with one error in the middle of the park, giving Van La Parra the chance to try his luck again.
The spells in which McClaren’s men did keep the ball, they looked a threat, and as the first half wore on they grew more into game.
Will Hughes came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock on 20 minutes, bending a deft shot just wide of Danny Ward’s far post.
After that, the Rams’ best chance of the first 45 minutes fell to their lead man Matěj Vydra. He had two efforts within a strong four-minute spell as he cleared the crossbar with a first-time volley, before seeing a header from close range crucially blocked.
As has been with many of Derby’s games this season, the second half was a much more open affair and from one end to the other, both teams created clear openings.
Richard Keogh, Derby’s captain, was the first to try his luck, attacking Ince’s swinging corner as McClaren’s side started brightly, but could only head up whilst no more than a minute later Kasey Palmer, the Chelsea loanee, drew a routine save from Carson.
Derby had their two best chances of the second half within a minute of each other. Ward, though, was in fine form as he smartly denied Ince after he was sent through on goal by Cyrus Christie after a powerful run down the right and from the resulting corner, Ward was busy again as he tipped over the excellent Bradley Johnson’s firm header.
The relentless nature of this spell then saw Carson pull off a fantastic save to keep the contest goalless after he superbly denied Nahki Well with an outstretched arm, as he got a hand to the forward’s shot which seemed destined for the bottom corner of his goal.
Wells bent another effort wide as the hosts enjoyed their strongest spell of the contest, which culminated in another fine save from Carson in the Derby goal, as he got down well to turn away Harry Bunn’s fine low drive.
It looked as though it would be enough for the Rams to extend their unbeaten run to five games in the Championship, but there was to be late drama in West Yorkshire as the hosts stole all three points in the dying embers of added time.
Bunn, the substitute, was allowed time to cross from the left and up rose Kachunga to head across goal and into the bottom corner – another late blow for the Rams on the road as McClaren tasted defeated for the first time since returning to the club as manager.
Huddersfield Town: Ward, Smith, Whitehead (Mooy, 61), Hogg, Kachunga, Löwe, Van La Parra (Bunn, 61), Wells (Payne, 75), Schindler, Hefele, Palmer
Substitutes not used: Murphy, Hudson, Holmes-Dennis, Cranie
Derby County: Carson, Christie, Keogh (C), Pearce, Olsson; Johnson, Butterfield, Hughes; Ince (Weimann, 90), Russell (Anya, 59), Vydra (Bent, 71)
Substitutes not used: Mitchell, Baird, Hanson, Rawson
Attendance: 19,794 (1,932 away supporters)
