3/1 To Win
Derby County tasted defeat for the first time under Gary Rowett’s reign on Good Friday after they fell to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Brentford at Griffin Park.
Lasse Vibe’s first half strike from close-range saw the hosts take the lead shortly after 30 minutes, and two Jota finishes, with another Vibe goal sandwiched in-between during the second half, sunk the Rams to their heaviest defeat of the campaign.
After a dramatic late 2-1 victory over Birmingham City last time out, Rowett, the Derby boss, named an unchanged staring XI and matchday squad ahead of their fixture with the Bees as he sought to maintain his unbeaten start in charge.
On a narrow pitch, it was clear from the beginning, though, that Brentford’s plan would be to force the game down the middle.
And Sergi Canos nearly made the most of this with less than five minutes on the clock, when he weaved his way into the box from the left-side, only to blast the ball way over Scott Carson’s crossbar.
Fluid play from the hosts saw them dominate possession for the first ten minutes and with every attack, Canos, the Spaniard, looked increasingly dangerous down the left wing.
With 16 minutes on the clock, Brentford would have taken the lead through an impressive run into the box from Jota had it not have been for a clearance off the line by Chris Baird.
Chances continued to fall the hosts’ way and Vibe was the next to go close from inside the area on 22 minutes, but he was unable to find the target.
Derby’s best chance was always going to be on the counter attack and quick play between Craig Bryson and Nugent almost saw this come to fruition when the latter player was cleverly slipped clean through on goal.
Unfortunately for Nugent, Daniel Bentley was quick off his line, sliding to deflect the ball near the by-line where the eagerly waiting Tom Ince was unable to keep the ball in play as the opportunity passed the visitors by.
The save proved to be crucial.
Brentford replied with further bombardment of Derby’s box and Baird almost suffered an own goal scare when a misjudgement of Jota’s cross from the right hit the Northern-Irishman’s foot and was palmed off the line by Carson.
The two things keeping Rowett’s side in the game was defensive resilience and luck and unfortunately for Derby, on 32 minutes, the latter ran out after the dangerous looking Vibe capitalised on Jota’s deflected shot to convert from close-range.
Little happened of note after that during the first half’s remaining minutes, though Brentford still remained in control of possession and they continued to keep their visitors frustrated.
It was clear that the next goal would determine the direction of the game and as the second half arrived – Derby appeared to signal their intent to change the tide of the contest, bringing on both Will Hughes and Darren Bent as replacements for Bryson and Nugent.
Both sides began the second half safely, but with 55 minutes on the clock, the Rams clearly upped their attacking emphasis and were very nearly rewarded with a goal after Ince had been denied by Bentley and Butterfield’s long-range shot was sent narrowly over the bar.
Momentum was on Derby’s side, but they couldn’t make the most of it and after the 15-minute spell of dominance passed by, Brentford rediscovered their stranglehold.
Just after the hour mark, the hosts looked to remind Derby of their presence in a harsh manner when Nico Yennaris almost turned in Canos’ threatening left-sided cross and he would have done so had it not been for alert defending from Marcus Olsson.
On 70 minutes, though, a moment of brilliance from Jota allowed him to convert from the edge of the box - dashing any hopes of a comeback from the Rams despite their bright start to the second half.
Full of confidence and keen to add to their tally, the hosts went from strength-to-strength after that and eight minutes later Vibe looked to capitalise on this after he weaved his way through on goal, only to be stopped by a sharp reaction save from Carson.
With 82 minutes gone, Vibe did manage to bag his brace and it came in similar fashion to Jota’s strike as he bent a delightful shot into Carson’s far corner from the edge of the area, with the Derby ‘keeper left rooted.
To the Rams dismay, Brentford were not finished there and Jota went on to bag his brace with 90 minutes gone as the Spaniard beat Richard Keogh for pace and found the bottom corner to compound the visitors’ misery.
Brentford: Bentley, Dean (C), Yennaris, Woods (McCormack, 71), Sawyers (Kerschbaumer, 84), Clarke, Vibe, Henry, Jota, Barbet, Canos (Jozefzoon, 71)
Substitutes not used: Bonham, Hofmann, Egan, Field
Derby County: Carson, Baird, Keogh (C), Pearce, Olsson; Bryson (Hughes, 46), Johnson (Vydra, 76), Ince, Butterfield, Russell, Nugent (Bent, 46)
Substitutes not used: Mitchell, Christie, Anya, Camara
Attendance: 11,133
