3/1 To Win
Gary Rowett was thrilled with Derby County’s attacking quality after his side ended the year with a superb 2-1 victory against Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
Sam Winnall – making his first start since the defeat to Reading at the start of November – stole the show with two brilliant strikes either side of half time to set Derby on their way to three points.
The Rams had the chances to put the game to bed in the first half and the boss was full of praise for the striker and his side’s display in the final third.
Speaking to RamsTV, he said: “That goal summed up the attacking performace, our movement and interchange was sensational at times and we should have been well ahead going into half time.
“He worked really hard for the team today, I just felt that he needed a chance and his all-round performance was excellent.
“He held the ball up well, he worked tirelessly and the way that he kept possession aerially today was really good.
On Winnall’s second goal, Rowett added: “It was unbelievable to let fly with such accuracy, it looked like it would seal the game but we know that Ipswich don’t give in.”
With Joe Ledley and Bradley Johnson injured prior to the trip to East Anglia, George Thorne was handed a chance to impress and he did just that whilst completing the full 90 minutes.
Rowett was pleased to give Thorne a start, and he picked out the midfielder as a key member of his squad.
He said: “Joe Ledley has hardly lost a game and Tom Huddlestone has been getting better and better, so it’s been unfortunate for George.
“He’s always been involved and we’ve got him out on the pitch as much as we can and it’s a massive positive that he’s been fit for three or four months.
“He’s a big player for us and we certainly needed him today.
The win further secured Derby’s place in the Sky Bet Championship top-six, but Rowett has warned his squad against looking too far ahead.
He added: “We’ve got to keep putting pressure on, keep winning our games and let everyone else worry about what they do.
“It’s such a long season and we’re not getting carried away, we’re not thinking too much about what’s at the end of it.
“We’re just focusing on the details of our performance and making sure that we work very hard to win as many games as possible.”
