Latest Derby County news from Derbyshire Live brings you all the major talking points from the weekend’s win over Leyton Orient at Brisbabe Road
Derby County’s brilliant form continued as they made it five wins on the spin in League One with a convincing 3-0 victory against 10-man Leyton Orient.
Louie Sibley opened the scoring in the first half after some fine work from Kane Wilson ended with him finding the bottom corner with a peach of a finish from outside the box. Paul Warne’s side then had a golden chance to make it 2-0 when Nathaniel Mendez-Laing teed up James Collins who was unmarked but the forward fired wide of the post.
Orient had their moments in the first half with Theo Archibald completely missing his kick when well placed but they were then reduced to 10 men before the break. At first, it seemed an innocuous collision between Brandon Cooper and Collins, but replays shown in the press box during the interval showed there was a flailing arm which gave the ref no choice but to reach for a red card.
Derby would have anticipated a strong start from the hosts after the interval, but it was Mendez-Laing who continued his stunning form as his finish crept in after being picked out by Conor Hourihane in what was a wonderful move. Mendez-Laing then could have had a second when he raced through on goal, but the angle was against him as Brynn made a save at the near post. But Derby did make it three when Mendez-Laing led a lighting counter-attack to tee up substitute Tom Barkhuizen.
It’s now five wins on the spin in League One and nobody inside Brisbane Road could dispute that Paul Warne’s side deserved it. While the red card Brandon Cooper received before half-time did have a bearing on the game, more details of which can be found below, Derby were just too slick and too quick, particularly after the interval.
And while playing against 10 men can sometimes be tricky given teams switch to full defensive mode, Derby negotiated that test with some distinction. The second goal after half-time effectively ended this game as a contest and it was a lovely flowing move that was rounded off by Nathaniel Mendez-Laing which killed any hope of an Orient fightback.
The truth is that Derby could have won this game by a much more convincing scoreline when you think that Tyreece John-Jules was denied a third goal in as many games from point-blank range while Mendez-Laing also saw a shot well saved. While Warne said he was not over the moon with the performance, Derby are just starting to gather momentum at a key stage of the season. The players are full of confidence, they look fit, relationships are forming and there is unity in the dressing room and the stands.
It is a concoction that has left Derby looking incredibly dangerous and you can rest assured, that Portsmouth, Bolton, Stevenage and Peterborough will be looking over their shoulders in what is set to be a fascinating promotion race.
Nailed on red
When James Collins went down before half-time after a challenge from Brandon Cooper, it happened all so quickly that it appeared to be just a clumsy tackle from behind. The consensus was that it looked like a yellow card offence at best and not worthy of the red that the referee ultimately dished out.
But Derbyshire Live was shown the incident again from the analyst’s footage at half-time and the officials got it spot on. As Collins attempted to turn he got an elbow to the mouth and he was lucky he didn’t need an emergency trip to the dentist.
Only Cooper knows what was going through his mind, but there is no escaping the fact that it was a shocker. Speaking after the game, Derby’s Kane Wilson said he saw the incident clearly and said that it wasn’t just “dangerous” but also told how he heard several Orient players say they could not believe what their team-mate had done.
But kudos to the referee and the fourth official for spotting it because everybody else in the stands couldn’t understand why Cooper had been dismissed. We are quick to criticise refs when they get decisions wrong, but here is praise for making the correct call in what was a big moment in the game.
Hourihane enjoys himself
There have not been many games this season when Conor Hourihane has stamped his authority on them, but that’s more down to the fact that he takes up a deeper position in the heart of midfield.
But the former Aston Villa man enjoyed himself here and he delivered probably his best performance of the campaign so far. He made a crucial intervention early on when Joe Piggott threatened and that set the tone for a fine all-round display. It was eventually crowned with an assist for Nathaniel Mendez-Laing when the Irishman’s weight of pass was perfect. As Warne said after the game, he is one of the few in this squad who has that ability.
Hourihane had an excellent afternoon and offered a great deal of calmness in possession and did not neglect his defensive responsibilities either. He has taken some criticism from some Derby fans, but credit where credit is due, he was excellent here. He just has to keep it going because when he plays like this, such talent can make a hell of a difference.
The Derby County balcony
As you might expect, given Derby’s brilliant travelling support, the away end for this game was sold out with the travelling support having only been handed around 1,200 tickets. But that did not stop some from getting a unique view of Saturday’s victory given a few were watching the game from a block of flats housed in the corner of the ground.
A flag was draped over the balcony and their absence was not missed by the eagle-eyed travelling supporters in the away end. Indeed, the balcony was asked to start the bounce, one of the club’s most recognisable ditties. They duly responded in kind and Warne referenced the balcony Rams post-match who were enjoying themselves throughout the afternoon. It’s one way to watch a game that is for sure.
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