Cocu: “The Lads Worked Hard For That Goal”

Phillip Cocu was pleased to see Derby County’s persistence eventually rewarded as they grabbed a dramatic injury-time equaliser in their 1-1 draw at Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day.

Martyn Waghorn struck deep into added time to earn Derby their first point on the road in the Sky Bet Championship since early-October.

Substitute Joe Garner’s close-range strike had Cocu’s side staring a seventh successive away defeat in the face, but the Rams refused to throw the towel in.

Derby have certainly found the rub of the green against them in recent weeks, particularly in games and with injuries, which has hindered their quest to climb the Championship table.

Therefore, the 49-year-old feels the late goal and a point on their travels in a step forward.

He now wants to see his side kick on in their back-to-back home games either side of the New Year against Charlton Athletic and Barnsley and back up the positive point on the road.

Speaking to RamsTV after the game at the DW Stadium, Cocu said: “The lads worked hard for it.

“We always say to the players to keep pushing, keep fighting for the result and you will finally get it.

“We kept on going and in the end we got our goal; it was very good for the fans too and I have to say thank you to them for their support. I think also if you look at the total game, we deserved a goal and at least a point.

“It is a step forward for us. We have conceded a lot of defeats in away games lately, so we were really eager to get a result and, of course, we tried to get the three points here.

“In the first half we didn’t create so much and maybe over tried to play from the back. They played high up, so I told the players at half time that we need more runs in the back of their back four to be creative.

“We used the spaces much better in the second half, created chances on goal and I think if we can score the first one, rather than the opponent, then it gives us so much more.”

He added: “We have to accept the point today, but the way we fought and we created more chances on goal, like we did with ten players against Reading, is much better than a lot of other away games.

“We are stepping in the right direction, but we have to make sure in our next two homes games we get some positive results and then this becomes an important point.”

Cocu confirmed in his post-match press conference that midfielder Krystian Bielik was withdrawn before half-time for tactical reasons.

The Polish international was walking a tightrope after receiving a caution early on and, having committed a handful of fouls soon afterwards, the Derby boss was keen to avoid seeing Bielik receive a red card.

He was replaced by youngster Max Bird, who produced an assured display in what was his first league appearance of the season.

Cocu said: “Krystian had a booking so we made the decision to take him off. He put in another three or four tackles and the crowd got on his back.

“I had to protect the team and himself, so he was available for our future games. I didn’t want to take him off but I felt I had to on this occasion.”

He added: “I must say that Max Bird came on and did a very good job for the team.”