A freekick from Sean Friars late on saw Town beat the FA Premiership Reserve League (Southern Section) leaders Derby. The Rams had gone ahead in the first half, but Town struck back through Logan. Friars curler sealed it.

Town included Jamie Clapham, Richard Naylor and Fabian Wilnis in the side but Gary Croft missed out with his groin injury. James Pullen started in goal as Mike Salmon was rested ahead of his possible inclusion on the bench at Charlton on Monday. Heerenveen player Marc Van Eijk was also included while his team-mate Ian Claes missed out as he is on international duty with the Belgian U21s. The rest were reserve regulars. Derby included Otto Bragstad, a man rumoured to be a Town target last summer.

The game started in dry weather but the rain soon came and within minutes everyone on the pitch was completely soaked and looking as if they’d rather be doing something else. And for large periods of the first half the crowd felt the same.

Town’s first real chance came when Logan, sporting a new shaven head look, put the ball on the top of the net. At the other end Derby’s Tonton Moukoko made a good break down the left. He put the ball across but it came to nothing. The ball was played back in and Pullen claimed the wet ball well.

Derby went ahead in the 24th minute through Marcus Tudgay. Adam Bolder had got free on the right after the ball had ricocheted kindly for him and had played a ball into the path of both Tudgay and Moukoko who could also have scored. It was all Derby deserved as they had been the better side.

James Pullen made a slip when he failed to hold on to a ball while Lee Morris was in close attendance. Fortunately for Town the ball squirmed out for a corner. For the Blues Ashley Nicholls banged in a cross from the right, but the keeper cut it out. On the half hour Van Eijk, who had shown some neat touches at times, put in a good cross which Naylor headed down, but Logan couldn’t get to.

In the final minute of the half Justin Miller did well to dispossess Lee Morris when the ex-Sheffield United player was in a good position.

At half-time Town replaced Lee Beevers with Sean Friars coming on at left-wing and Jamie Clapham moving back to left-back.

There was little early action until in the 59th minute when Richard Logan conjured a goal out of nothing. The ball was bouncing about in the box and the striker turned and hit the ball home. A minute later Tudgay had the ball in the Town net, but the linesman had his flag up.

In the 63rd minute Nabil Abidallah let fly from well out and keeper Lee Grant appeared to put ball over the bar. Referee Mr Yerby failed to see the keeper’s touch and gave a goalkick.

On 66 Richard Logan came close to scoring his second when he sent a looping header goalwards that Grant fumbled round the post.

In the 77th minute Jamie Clapham put in an important challenge on Tudgay when the Derby striker was about to hit a shot. A minute later Darren Bent replaced Richard Naylor.

In the 84th minute Sean Friars scored the winner for Town. The Blues received a freekick just outside the penalty area on the right which even the Town players seemed to dispute. Up stepped Friars to curl it into Grant’s top right hand corner. It was a moment of quality in a poor game and must have cheered Sean Friars up a bit after a less than cheerful few weeks.

Late on Abidallah had another shot from distance which went well over. Not the next of performances from the Town second string, but a good result against one of the better reserve sides we’ve seen this season.

Pullen, Wilnis, Beevers (Friars 46), Nicholls, Miller, Moffat, Van Eijk, Abidallah, Naylor (Bent 78), Logan, Clapham. Unused subs: Kelly, Snowdon, Graaven.

Photo: Action Images

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