Town allowed a 4-1 half-time lead slip as Derby County fought back to claim a 4-4 draw at Pride Park. Daryl Murphy scored twice and Christophe Berra and Aaron Cresswell once each before the break with the home side having pulled one back through Zak Whitbread. The second half was almost constant Rams pressure and they eventually grabbed a point with skipper Craig Bryson scoring twice and Jamie Ward once.
Mick McCarthy named an unchanged team for the third successive match with the only switch in the 18 Tyrone Mings’s return to the bench in place of striker Jack Marriott.
The Rams, watched by new boss Steve McClaren, who takes charge tomorrow, handed a debut to defender Whitbread, who joined on loan from Leicester yesterday.
On-form Blues striker David McGoldrick went looking for what would be his first ever Town away goal early on, but failed to find the target from 20 yards in the fourth minute.
At the other end, Craig Forsyth crossed but former Norwich man Chris Martin got under the ball with his header.
But it was Town who would draw first blood in the sixth minute. McGoldrick won a freekick on the left after he was fouled by Jake Buxton. Aaron Cresswell sent a freekick to the far post and Christophe Berra powered home his second headed goal of the season.
Two minutes later, Daryl Murphy forced Rams’ keeper Lee Grant to parry a shot from the right. Ryan Tunnicliffe was unable to get in a clean strike at the rebound and McGoldrick’s subsequent strike deflected wide.
From the corner, Town went two in front. Cresswell again whipped the ball over and this time it was Murphy who powered home the header.
Three minutes later, the home side pulled a goal back after Connor Sammon forced Berra to concede a corner on the right having beaten Cresswell. Ben Davies whipped the ball in and debutant Whitbread’s header flew past Gerken.
But it took only another two minutes for Town’s two-goal lead to be restored. Good work from Cresswell, Tunnicliffe, Murphy and Paul Anderson on the left ended with the former Forest midfielder playing in the left-back at a very tight angle. Cresswell brought the ball in before hitting a low shot which struck keeper Lee Grant and then the back of the net for his second goal of the season.
The basketball style end to end scoring eventually subsided, although the Blues could have been 4-1 up in the 18th minute when a McGoldrick shot deflected to Murphy with the Rams’ defence again all over the place but a defender’s toe stabbed the ball out, although referee Trevor Kettle awarded a goalkick.
Just before the half hour Berra headed over from another Town set piece, this time a corner, then at the other end Ward curled a shot wide for the Rams. Two minutes later, McGoldrick shot wide after being cleverly played in by Luke Hyam.
Town did make in 4-1 in the 34th minute and once more from a set piece. Cresswell whipped the ball in and Murphy flashed a header past Grant and into the net for his second of the season.
Large numbers of the home fans decided they’d seen enough of the first half at this point and were sung on their way by the Blues’ support, who earlier had given Steve McClaren his first burst of ‘You’re being sacked in the morning’ before he has even officially taken charge at Pride Park.
Davies shot wide for the Rams, then with five minutes of the half still McGoldrick headed Anderson’s right-wing cross beyond Grant’s left post.
Gerken was forced into action in the 44th minute when Ward dispossessed Anderson but the Blues keeper reacted quickly and blocked. Moments later, the former Sheffield United man curled a strike over from distance.
Referee Kettle’s whistle brought a breathless half to an end after a lengthy spell of injury time in which the Rams won several corners.
Town were worthy of their lead with the home side unable to deal with Cresswell’s set pieces for three of the goals and having been taken apart by slick Blues passing for the goal the left-back scored himself.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Derby's interim manager Darren Wassall made two changed at the break, John Eustace taking over from Sammon, leaving Martin as the only out and out central striker, and youngster Mason Bennett replacing Davies.
Within two minutes the Rams pulled a goal back. Will Hughes playing in skipper Craig Bryson on the left of the area, from where he slipped the ball under Gerken much to manager McCarthy’s frustration in the technical area.
The home fans were suddenly in far better spirits and the volume was turned up several notches. There was another scare for the Blues a minute later when sub Bennett was played through on goal but Berra made a superb challenge as he burst into the box. Eustace lashed the loose ball wildly over.
Town weren’t far away from a fifth in the 50th minute when Cresswell and Skuse played a well-rehearsed freekick to McGoldrick on the edge of the box but his shot was just too high.
But the home side’s comeback was to continue. In the 61st minute. Martin backheeled the ball into the path of Hughes on the left and the promising youngster’s low ball into the six-yard box was diverted home by Ward.
McGoldrick screwed a shot from a tight angle wide on 62 but it was the home side doing most of the pressing. On 66 Eustace was booked for catching Tunnicliffe with an elbow. Three minutes later, the on-loan Manchester United man joined him for a revenge foul on the veteran midfielder.
After a Eustace header from a corner was blocked, Carlos Edwards replaced Anderson and Jay Tabb took over from Tunnicliffe.
On 74 McGoldrick was booked for a foul on Ward, the freekick flying wide off Eustace’s head. Soon after Berra joined him Mr Kettle’s book, also for a foul on Ward, then Skuse was yellow-carded for a foul on Adam Smith.
Frank Nouble replaced McGoldrick for the final 10 minutes with the Blues hanging on to their slender lead in the face of near constant Derby pressure but the additions of Tabb and Edwards having notably made a difference.
With seven minutes remaining, Ward hit a low shot through to Gerken, then Cresswell’s name was added to referee Kettle’s book for timewasting at a freekick.
In the 88th minute, the equaliser which the home side had been threatening to score came. Gerken failed to deal with a corner from the left which was headed up into the air. Whitbread’s header was blocked but the loose ball fell to Bryson, who slammed into the net to a rapturous reception from the Rams’ crowd.
In injury time, a low Nouble cross into the box almost caused problems for the Derby backline but the ball was eventually cleared, the Blues frontman picking up a late booking for a challenge on keeper Grant.
Edwards tried a repeat of his goal in the final moments of the game here in April but this time failed to hit the target and the whistle went soon afterwards.
Town had the game all but won at the break but handed the impetus to the home side by conceding the second goal so soon after the start of the second half.
From there, the Blues defended too deep, rarely venturing out of their half and ultimately paid the price.
Boss Mick McCarthy is unlikely to be impressed with the way his team threw away what should have been their first away victory of the season and only their second of 2013.
Derby: Grant, Smith, Buxton, Whitbread, Forsyth, Davies (Eustace 46), Bryson, Hughes, Ward (Russell 90), Sammon (Bennett 46), Martin. Unused: Deeney, Lowe, Hanson, Jacobs.
Town: Gerken, Chambers, Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Anderson (Edwards 71), Hyam, Skuse, Tunnicliffe (Tabb 71), Murphy, McGoldrick (Nouble 82). Unused: Loach, Hewitt, Mings, Wordsworth. Referee: Trevor Kettle (Rutland). Att: 21,037.