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Derby County 1-2 Town
Derby County 1-2 Town
Tuesday, 1st Feb 2011 21:56

Jimmy Bullard struck on his debut and skipper David Norris netted his eighth goal of the season as Town came from behind to win 2-1 at manager Paul Jewell’s former club Derby County. Alberto Bueno put the Rams in front before Bullard volleyed home a spectacular equaliser prior to the break, Norris grabbing the winner in the second half.

On his first return to Pride Park since a 1-0 defeat to the Blues led to his resignation as Derby boss in December 2008, Town manager Jewell handed new loan signing Jimmy Bullard his debut in the centre of midfield, Colin Healy dropping to the bench.

Darren O’Dea was also relegated to the ranks of the subs as Mark Kennedy moved to left-back from the midfield role he occupied at Arsenal with Lee Martin coming back into the team on the right of a five-man midfield, having been cup-tied for the match at the Emirates. Connor Wickham was on the left with Tamás Priskin Town’s lone striker.

Deadline day signing Andy Drury warmed up with his new team-mates but watched the game from the stands as Luton had failed to complete the paperwork relating to his £150,000 move in time for him to be able to play.

After a very open early period in which the Blues probably had most of the ball and Wickham had airkicked on the edge of the area from a Bullard cross from the right, the home side went ahead with the first real chance in the seventh minute.

The Town defence were caught making sure Chris Porter was offside as Gareth Roberts ran from deep on to Stephen Pearson’s through ball, which put him in the clear. The left-back drew Fülöp and appeared to have beaten the Hungarian goalkeeper before Alberto Bueno added the final touch from a few feet out.

Central defender Miles Addison headed over from a corner on 10, but it was Town who were continuing to have most of the ball but with the Rams looking more of a threat on the break.

On 26 a long spell of Town passing ended with skipper David Norris hitting a low shot which former Blues loanee keeper Stephen Bywater did well to push wide at full stretch to his left.

Two minutes later, the Blues were back on terms via a Jimmy Bullard debut goal. Lee Martin crossed from the right, Shaun Barker looped a header out of the area towards Bullard 30 yards from goal and the loanee from Hull hammered a volley to the left of Bywater, who was deceived by a bounce in front of him and could only help the ball into the net.

Bullard, who had been relatively quiet up to then aside from the early cross for Wickham, was surrounded by his team-mates on halfway for what was a relatively understated goal celebration by his own previous standards. It had been a near perfect volley, although Bywater will feel he ought to have done better.


There was a slight scare for Town in the 43rd minute when Damien Delaney flicked a ball aimed at Porter back to Fülöp with the keeper having already advanced off his line, but the former Sunderland man dived to his right to claim.

A minute later Porter over-hit his first touch after Bailey’s through ball had looked to have put him in a promising position, before referee Carl Boyeson blew the half-time whistle.

Town deserved to be at least level at the break, having enjoyed more of the first half possession, although both teams had lost the ball cheaply at times. The home side had looked dangerous when breaking, their goal being an example, and had had more half-chances, with the Blues only threatening via Norris’s shot from the edge of the box aside from their goal.

Tamás Priskin hit a snapshot wide from the edge of the area in the opening minute of the second period, but it was the Rams who began the half the stronger. Ben Davies cut in from the left and hit a half-volley wide, Bueno struck a shot which deflected for a corner off Norris, prior to Addison and then Bueno failing to find the target with headers from the flagkick.

Bullard created an opening for Norris in the 59th minute but the Blues captain shot wide. Two minutes later, Bueno similarly missed the target from 25 yards at the other end before McAuley blocked from Davies.

The Blues went ahead in the 68th minute. Norris played a ball in to Priskin’s feet on the edge of the area and received the return pass from the Hungarian just inside the box, before beating one-time Town team-mate Bywater from 12 yards.

With the home fans now calling for the sacking of their board, Shaun Barker got his name in referee Carl Boyeson’s book for a foul on Norris on halfway in the 70th minute. Two minutes later, Steven Davies replaced Chris Porter as the Rams’ lone frontman.

Norris shot wide after a neat interchange of passes and headers involving Edwards, Priskin and Martin in the 79th minute, before Tomasz Cywka replaced Paul Green.

The game was briefly held up as it entered its final 10 minutes when a Derby fan wearing only a pair of blue pants and a scarf wrapped around a wrist ran on to the field in what appeared to be an ill-conceived protest aimed at Nigel Clough.

Once the game restarted Town were largely happy to sit back on their lead but had the occasional dangerous moment of their own, often due to less than convincing defending by the Derby backline.

With five minutes remaining, Edwards was somewhat harshly adjudged to have to have tripped Pearson on the edge of the Town box, the Trinidadian, who was booked, appearing to have made fairly significant contact with the ball. Ben Davies’s freekick deflected wide off the wall.

As the match moved into three minutes of injury time Ben Davies curled in a freekick from the left which Fülöp just about bundled over his bar at the far post.

The Hungarian keeper confidently claimed a corner on the left from Ben Davies before referee Boyeson blew the final whistle to signal the first away win of Paul Jewell’s Town reign and a winning return to his former club for the Blues boss.

Town were good for their victory with Derby looking like side short on confidence, despite having decent spells, particularly at the start of the second half when they came close to going back in front on a number of occasions.

The Blues played some good stuff at times with the second goal amongst the highlights, man of the match Norris and Priskin working well to create the opportunity and the skipper taking the chance confidently. However, at times they also gave the ball away too easily and didn't create many clear cut chances.

Nevertheless, players seem more confident on the ball than they were a few weeks ago, more patient in possession and less inclined to get it forward quickly.

There were fine, battling displays throughout the team, Bullard’s volley was superb and the loanee was always involved in the midfield, while Lee Martin grew in influence and had one of his best games in a Town shirt.

The Blues - who are now up to 17th, seven points off relegation - continue to look a rejuvenated side under Paul Jewell’s management and a third league victory in his four games in charge could well be on when Sheffield United visit Portman Road on Saturday.

Town (4-5-1): Fülöp, Edwards, Kennedy, McAuley, Delaney, Leadbitter, Bullard, Norris, Martin, Wickham, Priskin. Unused: Peters, Scotland, Lee-Barrett, Smith, Healy, Civelli, O’Dea.

Derby: (4-1-3-1-1): Bywater, Brayford, Roberts, Barker, Addison, Bailey, Green (Cywka 79), Pearson, B Davies, Bueno, Porter (S Davies 72). Unused: Savage, Deeney, Pringle, Doyle, Hendrick. Referee Carl Boyeson (East Yorks). Att: 23,159.

Photo: ITFC


Photo: Action Images



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