The Rams faced Ipswich on Saturday, but lost out 2-1 to Kieran McKenna’s side at Pride Park in what was a lunchtime kick-off
Ipswich Town maintained their Championship promotion push as they beat Derby County as Rams skipper Lewis Travis saw red at Pride Park.
In an afternoon Travis will want to forget, the former Blackburn man headed in an own goal after eight minutes before Rhian Brewster levelled from the spot after the break.
But Leif Davis restored the visitors’ lead before Travis saw red for a second yellow card after trying to retrieve the ball from Chuba Akpom.
Derby were behind after just eight minutes and it was a goal that would have been a source of frustration for John Eustace’s side who are usually solid at defending set-pieces.
However, a wicked delivery from Ivan Azon to the front post was aimed towards Wes Burns who was being marked by Travis.
The ball missed the winger, but not Travis who directed his header past his own goalkeeper and into the bottom corner.
After that Matt Clarke was required to make a strong tackle inside the area to deny Azon as the visitors looked for a second.
However, Derby soon enjoyed their best spell of the first half, although it did not translate into any clear cut chance.
A cross from Ben Brereton Diaz to the near post evaded Patrick Agyemang and Rhian Brewster did shoot wide, but Christian Walton, the Ipswich goalkeeper, enjoyed a comfortable 45 minutes.
After the break, it was Ipswich who could have doubled the lead when Wes Burns was picked out inside the area by a super Jack Clarke pass, but Josh Vickers made a superb save.
Derby kept plugging away and they did haul themselves level when Clark was fouled inside the box by Azor Matusiwa which allowed Brewster to ram home from the spot.
But just as Derby perhaps sensed a winner, it was Ipswich who regained the lead when Kasey McAteer dug out a great cross for Leif Davis to head the visitors back in front.
The Rams, however, were then reduced to 10 men when Travis saw red for a second bookable offence late on.
The fact that Kieran McKenna said this victory was his favourite of the season was perhaps a backhanded compliment to Derby, who undoubtedly showed a great deal of endeavour.
In the end, a terrific header from Leif Davis sealed the victory for the visitors, who were able to bring a great deal of talent off the bench to help them over the line. Kasey McAteer, a £12m signing from Leicester City last August, grabbed his first assist in a Town shirt and he cost more in one deal than the entire five substitutes Eustace was able to send on.
They are comfortably the best of the relegated Premier League teams and look a very good bet for the top two given Coventry City are having a massive wobble at the worst time of the season. Once you lose momentum as they have, it can be very difficult to regain it.
Derby, though, refused to lay down the red carpet, and while they made a fist of it, they just couldn’t turn some promising periods into chances, especially in the first half when they had a good spell for 20 minutes. That is something that can still be improved.
Without six key first-team players, they will be far stronger when Carlton Morris, Sondre Langas, Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, Max Johnston, Dion Sanderson and Callum Elder return. Not just for competition in the starting XI, but also on the bench, which Eustace felt was a big difference.
That said, sitting ninth in the table, Derby are seven places better off than where they should be when it comes to their squad value of £52m compared to their league position, according to Transfermarkt. That is a good indicator of their progress this season.
In his post-match review, John Eustace noted that Lewis Travis enjoys playing on the edge.
However, the former Blackburn captain will be furious with himself after being dismissed after receiving a second yellow card. Getting engaged in a disagreement like that is usually a recipe for danger, even though Darnell Furlong’s theatrical reaction was hilarious and you would have thought Anthony Joshua had decked him.
No matter how minimal the contact may have been, as soon as the rolling around begins, and his team-mates start rushing to the scene of the crime, referees often get caught up with the emotion. A yellow card usually follows.
Offending players seldom win in those situations, and now Travis is set to serve a one-match ban. That said, referee Josh Smith had a very poor game on the day.
The South Stand certainly made their feelings clear.
Murkin did well
Having arrived on deadline day from Utrecht, and after training for just a couple of days with his new team-mates, Derry Murkin was pretty much plunged into the deep end due to Callum Elder’s knee injury.
Ordinarily, new signings are slowly introduced into the first team, but the full-back had no such luxury. And for somebody who has never played football in England, despite being born in Colchester, his performance was impressive.
Defensively, he won four out of his five ground duels, completed 30 out of his 40 passes, and he was facing, arguably, one of the best teams in the league on their day.
There was good athleticism, though you could see he tired towards the end, after what has been a busy week for him, given he will have had to sort out moving from the Netherlands, settling into his new surroundings, and getting to know everyone.
When you take all that into account, he can feel very satisfied with his performance. With time, he will get used to the speed of the league, but this was not a bad start by any stretch of the imagination.
Still work to do in the final third
As ruthless as Derby were at Bristol City last Friday, their work in the final third can still be improved.
Eustace admitted as much after the game, and there were some notable parts of this contest when a bit more care with the final pass would have perhaps translated into chances.
Christian Walton, the custodian for Ipswich, was not shot in retaliation until Rhian Brewster scored the equaliser from the penalty spot in the second half.
Derby’s incredible destruction of City demonstrated what they are capable of when they are playing at their best. However, they are still very much in the early stages of development.
