3/1 To Win
Jacob Butterfield struck late on against his former club as Derby County fought back to earn a point against promotion-chasing Huddersfield Town on Easter Monday.
Introduced as part of a triple second half substitution, the 26-year-old midfielder hit a shot from the edge of the area, which took a nick off a Terriers defender, and nestled into the back of the net as he finally bagged his first goal of the season to cancel out Collin Quaner’s early opener.
Whilst it ensured the Rams bounced back from their 4-0 defeat at Brentford on Good Friday – the finish was also pivotal on the south coast as well as it saw Brighton & Hove Albion secure promotion to the Premier League.
Those cheers at the Amex Stadium probably would have been a little more subdued after Huddersfield broke the deadlock within the opening 10 minutes at Pride Park Stadium.
Played down the right, a quick burst of pace down from Martin Cranie created enough space for him to deliver a threatening ball into the box. In it came, low across the area and Quaner was the quickest to react as he nipped across the defender and tucked the ball away in the far corner.
With a goal already to the visitors’ name, the pressure was all on Derby and an instant reaction saw Darren Bent put the ball in the back of the net with his head – however, the linesman on the far side flagged for offside to deny the Rams a leveller.
Derby did dominate possession throughout this one, as Huddersfield sat off and allowed their hosts to come at them.
With that, the hosts created a couple of half chances. Bent was, again, denied an opportunity to put his side ahead. Tom Ince delivered a teasing corner into the six-yard box and after it fell into the forward’s path, his shot from close range was blocked by one of a number of sacrificing Town defenders.
Danny Ward’s goal was very rarely threatened after that and that was largely down to the fact that Huddersfield had their pressing down to a tee as they lived up their Terrier nickname to very quickly extinguished each and every attack Derby tried to create.
The best chance Gary Rowett’s side crafted came through the lively Matěj Vydra. From a quick free-kick, the 24-year-old Czech Republic international escaped into the area, but pulled his shot just wide of Ward’s far post.
It had been a slow half in truth with very few clear chances carved out, and being a goal to the good – Huddersfield were all too happy to keep it that way.
Derby, particularly, looked strong over the opening 10 minutes of the second half. Ikechi Anya, named Man of the Match, registered the Rams’ first shot after he found space on the edge of the box to try and test Ward. It proved to be nothing more than routine work for the Welsh international, though, as he palmed the ball out of play and out of danger.
It was attack after attack for Rowett’s side but defensively, David Wagner’s side look impenetrable.
With that, Rowett, the Derby boss, made a triple change to try and inject some pace into his attacking line with Ince, Vydra and Bradley Johnson all making way for Abdoul Camara, Johnny Russell and Jacob Butterfield.
As full-time neared, the game’s outcome looked almost set in stone. That was until the ball fell on the edge of the area and to the feet of a former Huddersfield Town man.
A dangerous ball delivered into the box by Richard Keogh was cleared at the back post – but it only went as far as the edge of the box and eagerly waiting was Butterfield, who timed his shot perfectly to score his first goal of the season – and against his former club as well.
It only takes a second to score a goal and just like that, Derby were back in the game.
Unfortunately, time was not on Derby’s side at this point and, despite momentum being on the home side at the final whistle, the Rams had to settle for a point.
Derby County: Carson, Christie, Keogh (C), Pearce, Olsson, Hughes, Johnson (Butterfield, 72), Vydra (Russell, 72), Ince (Camara, 71), Bent, Anya
Substitutes not used: Mitchell, Bryson, Baird, Lowe
Huddersfield Town: Ward, Whitehead (C), Kachunga, Mooy, Cranie (Smith, 61), Lowe, Van la Parra (Wells, 67), Lolley (Hogg, 79), Quaner, Schindler, Hefele
Substitutes not used: Coleman, Hudson, Scannell, Payne
Attendance: 29,031 (1,245 away supporters)
