3/1 To Win
Derby County fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against table-topping Leeds United in a battling Sky Bet Championship
contest at Pride Park Stadium on Sunday evening.
The visitors had the lion’s share of possession in the first half but Derby weathered the storm of chances from the league leaders and threatened with both goalkeepers forced into making last-ditch saves as the game was goalless going into the break.
A tense affair followed in the second period as both sides saw chances go begging against resolute defending.
Leeds broke the deadlock in the 79th minute through Brendan Aaronson who scored from inside the penalty area.
Despite the loss, Paul Warne's side displayed a large number of encouraging signs in front of a season's best crowd of 32,240.
Key Moments
Leeds had the majority of possession in the opening exchanges and had the first chance of the game as Wilfried Gnonto fired a low delivery into the box that Derby goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström parried away before Kenzo Goudmijn swept away the follow-up.
Mateo Joseph fired on the wrong side of the post in the sixht minute as he latched onto another Gnonto cross into the box.
An alert piece of defending from Curtis Nelson staved off another attack as the visitors looked to assert their dominance early on. Nelson jostled with Joseph who darted into a dangerous position at the near post and put in a well-timed tackle when the cross came in that saw the ball out for a goal-kick.
Despite the visitors having the share of opportunities in the opening exchanges, Derby looked lively on the counter-attack.
Kane Wilson’s run down the right flank triggered a move that saw Kayden Jackson spin his defender and play a tidy one-two with Goudmijn to get a run at goal. The attacker was shepherded away from danger by the Leeds defence but showed the Rams’ threat.
Marcus Harness was at the heart of things as Derby looked to fashion an opportunity; they had spells of dominant play but couldn’t find the killer pass to open up the Leeds defence as Jackson and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing threatened to get in behind.
Zetterström saved well from Joseph in the 27th minute when the striker threaded a curling shot through a sea of legs with little space around him.
Jackson came close for the Rams when he received the ball after a free-kick from deep and sent a cross into the box that flew just past the upright of Illan Mesiler’s goal.
The match became more stunted ahead of the half-time break as
fouls and stoppages in play made it difficult for either team to get a foothold
on the game.
Aaronson had the first chance of the second period and he looked certain to open the scoring for Leeds but was denied brilliantly by Zetterström who scrambled down low to make the save.
Another chance went begging for Daniel Farke’s side when Joseph was played in behind by a pinpoint pass from Jayden Bogle. The right-back found the striker with a chance to go one-on-one with the goalkeeper but he hit the ball first time and sent it over the bar from the edge of the penalty area.
Derby saw more of the ball towards the hour mark with Nelson and Nat Phillips both having chances from a corner, but Meslier was equal to the header on both attempts making fingertip saves as the pressure ramped up.
Paul Warne made the Rams’ first change in the 67th minute as Corey Blackett-Taylor came onto the field with Mendez-Laing departing.
Blackett-Taylor forced a save from Meslier in the 72nd minute as he looked to cause trouble down the right flank.
Leeds countered with efficiency, though, and substitute Daniel James was excellently denied from close range by Zetterström.
Tawanda Chirewa and Tom Barkhuizen entered the field for the
Rams as both teams introduced fresh legs ahead of a tense conclusion to the
match.
Aaronson gave Leeds the lead as he finished off a tidy give-and-go on the edge of the area and slotted the ball into the back of the net.
Hard work from Callum Elder on the left wing fashioned a chance for the Rams as a combination passing move with Goudmijn and Chirewa opened up the defence. Chirewa got into the box with the ball but was quashed well by the Leeds defence.
Dajaune Brown and James Collins entered the field for Jerry Yates and
Goudmijn with the Rams chasing an equaliser - but Leeds held on to take
all three points.
The Teams
Derby County: Zetterström (GK), Wilson, Nelson, Phillips, Elder, Goudmijn (Brown 86), Adams, Mendez-Laing (C) (Blackett-Taylor 67), Harness (Chirewa 73), Jackson (Barkhuizen 73), Yates (Collins 86).
Unused Substitutes: Vickers (GK), Ward, Forsyth, Bradley.
Leeds United: Meslier (GK), Bogle, Ampadu (C), Struijk, Rodon, Byram, Aaronson (Bamford 89), Ramazani (Solomon 71), Joseph (Piroe 71), Tanaka (Guilavogui 90+1), Gnonto (James 71).
Unused Substitutes: Darlow (GK), Rothwell, Schmidt, Debayo.
Referee: Andy Davies
Assistant Referees: Graham Kane, Lee Venamore
Fourth Official: Anthony Backhouse
Attendance
32,240 (3,140 away supporters)
What’s Next?
Derby will hit the road in the Sky Bet Championship on New Year's Day with a trip to Sheffield Wednesday (3pm kick-off).
