3/1 To Win
Kasey Palmer hopes his last-gasp strike in Derby County’s 2-2 draw against Leeds United could prove to be a big one further down the line.
The 21-year-old Chelsea loanee came off the bench to score in added time and earn the Rams a point in a thrilling encounter at Pride Park Stadium.
Pierre-Michel Lasogga put Leeds ahead just after the hour-half mark but Andreas Weimann lashed home to equalise in the final minute of the first half.
Gary Rowett’s side dominated for long spells throughout, but it was Leeds who looked on course to claim all three points after Ezgjan Alioski finished off swift a counter attack with ten minutes to go.
There was, however, a late sting in the tail as Palmer prodded home from close range to equalise and notch his first goal in a Derby shirt in injury time.
Palmer, who was part of Huddersfield Town’s promotion to the Premier League last term, hopes Derby can look back on the point gained against the Yorkshire outfit as a precious one in the months ahead.
The Rams reside in fourth spot in the table with 13 games to play and remain in the thick of the Sky Bet Championship’s promotion race.
Palmer told RamsTV: “I hope in the long-run it is an important goal and point for us.
“Scoring so late shows the fighting spirit we have got and we won’t give up, even when things don’t always go our way.
“We know it’s going to be a rollercoaster ride until the end of the season but we have to just keep going.
“We are disappointed not to have won the game given we dominated the match but, as I said, who knows how important that point could be.”
He added: “It’s going to be tight in the remaining months and everyone is going to drop points because that’s how this division is.
“It’s important to get a result on Saturday at Reading now and get back to winning games.”
Palmer joined Derby on the final day of the January transfer window after spending the first half of the campaign back at Huddersfield in the Premier League.
Injury, however, restricted his appearances but he has since returned to full fitness and, since joining Derby, has come off the bench on four occasions.
After scoring his first Rams goal he hopes to make a positive impact in the final months of the season.
He said: “I’m delighted to have scored my first goal for the club and I hope I can have a positive impact in my time here.
“I was just hovering in the box hoping that the ball would drop to me and luckily it did. Curtis Davies did well to get a touch on the ball and then I was just delighted to see it hit the net.
“I’m an attacking player so it’s nice to score and settle a few nerves from that point of view.”
