Derby County tasted a narrow 1-0 defeat against Luton Town in the Sky Bet Championship at Pride Park Stadium on Good Friday.
Millenic Alli put Luton into the lead from close range in the 10th minute - an advantage they held onto going into the break despite having chances to extend their lead.
Derby were lively in the second period as they pushed for an equaliser. Jerry Yates and Kane Wilson were denied twice by reaction saves from Thomas Kaminski and a goalline block from Hatters’ defender Marc McGuiness in the 59th minute.
The Rams piled on the pressure late on, but Luton’s defence held firm to claim the points.
Key Moments
The game started in a lively manner for Derby as goalkeeper Josh Vickers threw the ball to Craig Forsyth, who marched to the halfway line before sending Nathaniel Mendez-Laing away down the left flank. The forward crossed with his left foot, but Luton cleared the ball.
Yates played in Wilson just moments later down the right. The full-back shot first time from a tight angle, but his effort was off target.
Alli struck from close range to put the visitors in front with ten minutes played. McGuinness met Luton corner from the left and, after the Hatters’ defender played the ball across the six-yard box, Alli tapped it home from five yards out.
John Eustace was forced into his first change as the clock hit 15 minutes, as Mendez-Laing was replaced by Kayden Jackson.
Lamine Fanne tried his luck after a loose ball fell to him in the box for the visitors, but his strike flew over the crossbar.
Christ Makosso came close to doubling the visitors' lead two minutes later, but his shot was just wide of the goal.
Matt Clarke made an important block not long after as Luton had a moment of good play to break Derby’s defensive line.
Marcus Harness played a corner short to Jackson, who crossed the ball to the back post in the 45th minute. Nat Phillips headed the ball back across goal and there was a scramble in the box, but the ball wouldn’t fall right for the Rams and the visitors cleared their lines.
Derby came close to finding their equaliser just before half-time as Wilson crossed in from the right to find Clarke. The centre-back headed the ball into the path of Yates, whose first-time shot was blocked.
Derby came out with some energy in the second half. Jackson found himself in space down the left to get on the attack. He pulled the ball back to Yates, whose flick on was met by a Luton defender, but the visitors could only clear as far as Harness, who struck the ball well, but his effort was deflected wide.
As the clock hit 59, Wilson latched onto Alli’s mistake and played in Yates, whose shot was saved well by Thomas Kaminski in the Luton net. The rebound fell back to Wilson, who did well to react and get his shot away, but his effort was cleared off the line by McGuiness.
The Hatters didn’t deal with Clarke’s cross from the right as the ball fell to Ebou Adams on the edge of the box. The midfielder struck a half-volley, but the shot was blocked, and the visitors cleared.
Moments later, Jackson’s fast feet carried him past three Luton players before he was brought down by Alli on the edge of the box and he saw a yellow for his late challenge.
Yates made a great connection with a volley in the 75th minute, but defender McGuiness made a fantastic block and the ball went out for a corner.
Eustace’s first change of the second period came in the 77th minute as Sondre Langås was replaced by Kenzo Goudmijn.
Jackson spun his player at the barline and put in a low cross, but the toe of a Luton defender was enough to turn the ball away with Yates waiting to pounce.
Clarke made himself a nuisance in the box with five minutes of normal time left to play. The centre-back nodded a cross into Harness, but the ball was an inch too high for the attack and the Luton goalkeeper was able to collect the danger.
Derby were relentless in their attacks, with crosses coming from Goudmijn, Wilson and Jackson, but the Hatters' defence remained resolute to take all three points.
The Teams
Derby County: Vickers (GK), Wilson, Forsyth, Langås (Goudmijn 76), Yates, Mendez-Laing (Jackson 16), Phillips, Harness, Clarke, Armstrong (Barkhuizen 90+2), Adams (C).
Substitutes Not Used: Luthra (GK), Osborn, Thompson, Rooney, Pieters, Wheeldon.
Luton Town: Kaminski (GK), Bell, McGuiness, Aasgaard, Morris (C) (Nordås 81), Naismith, Clark (Nakamba 81), Alli (Chong 90+2), Fanne (Mengi 73), Jones (Burke 73), Makosso.
Substitutes Not Used: Krul (GK), Walsh, Harris.
Referee: James Linington
Assistant Referees: Graham Kane, Blake Antrobus
Fourth Official: David Webb
Attendance
32,159 (3,011 Luton Town supporters).
What’s Next?
A fast turnaround in games sees the Rams’ next fixture at the Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion on Easter Monday, where they will be backed by another sold-out away end in the West Midlands (3pm kick-off).
