3/1 To Win
Striker Chris Martin hopes the late point that Derby County claimed against Leeds United at Elland Road can be used as a springboard as they bid to climb the Sky Bet Championship table.
Despite withstanding pressure from the hosts and with time seemingly running out for the Rams, the substitute met a pass from Jamie Paterson and found the bottom corner to ensure his side picked up a valuable point on the road.
Leeds had led thanks to Max Lowe's own goal in the first-half and had several chances to extend their lead.
It was the 30-year-old’s first goal for the club since November 2017 following two loan spells away from the club.
“That’s sometimes how it works, having once chance, and I think that was probably what it was going to take today against a real top side in Leeds,” he admitted, chatting to RamsTV following the game.
“They had us under the cosh for really long periods but it felt like for the last half hour of the game we came into our own.
“We kept the ball better and had a little bit of pressure and I was the lucky one on the receiving end of the chance. It was a nice move with Max Lowe down the right-hand side and we worked it well. Jamie Paterson has given me a good lay off and I’ve managed to find the corner.
“It didn’t matter who scored, it’s a nice touch for me personally to do it, but it gives us a foothold now and hopefully we can use this as a kick start for our season moving forward.”
The Rams fell behind on 20 minutes after Lowe inadvertently bundled the ball into his own net following a shot from Stuart Dallas.
Leeds enjoyed the majority of possession but missed a guilt-edged opportunity to extend the lead in the second half as Mateusz Klich missed a penalty, before Martin punished the Whites in additional time in the second half.
“Leeds will be disappointed that they’ve not killed the game off but that’s how it works,” Martin said. “You saw that shift in momentum more so from the fans after the penalty miss.
“There was a little bit of a lull because in the first half this place was absolutely rocking. It’s what we’ve tried to talk about before the game.
“If we had periods of pressure then we could quiet them down but we managed to save it right until the end.
“The manager said inside that last week, against Cardiff, felt like a defeat with the draw, but this week feels like a win.
“It’s mad how the feeling of a last-minute goal can work out. We need to use this as a catalyst for us to move up the table now.”
And the aim now for the Rams is to continue building going into the final three games before the next international break.
“We played well against Cardiff and we dug deep today,” he commented.
“We showed a bit of character and a bit of team spirit and different facets of the game and things that we are going to need moving forward but hopefully we can lay a real marker down next week, get the win on the board and kick on for sure.”
