Soft goals conceded prevent Rams from ending 2015 at summit

Derby County once again knew if they got the win that they would leapfrog Middlesbrough and end the calendar year on top of the table.

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Article by Fred Gough

Leeds United [2] Derby County [2] - Attendance: 23,027

However to gain that lucrative position, they would have to overcome one of the club’s bitter rivals and the only side to take three points away from them at the iPro Stadium so far in the spell whilst head coach Paul Clement was finding his feet and character in with the Rams.

Leeds United have been no stranger to headlines being written about them especially since the beginning of the Italian majority shareholder and chairman Massimo Cellino had taken over at Elland Road and started to wield his axe and create storms at the historically proud club.

The former Cagliari owner infamous for hiring and sacking many managers and in a relatively short term has had other controversies arise since taking over from the GFH Financial Group. The foreign owner blasted Sky Sports for interfering with the Yorkshire side’s fixtures a few months ago and decided to target this fixture as a way of protesting his feelings, instructing his staff from his property in Miami to blockage the corporation from entering the stadium to air this fixture.

IMAGE - DCFC MEDIA

After threats from the Football League, Cellino u-turned and allowed Sky employees into the stadium to set up and the main event could go ahead as planned. Paul Clement decided upon resting the talisman Chris Martin, the in-form Thomas Ince and deep lying playmaker George Thorne and reinstated former Aston Villa duo Darren Bent and Andreas Weimann and Irish midfielder Jeff Hendrick.

The cagey opening thirteen minutes were broken by a moment of class from the Dublin born Hendrick, as he danced through a hesitant Liam Bridcutt and deflated Sol Bamba to put the away side ahead after being teed up by former Leeds captain Stephen Warnock who had left Yorkshire for the Rams in the last January transfer window after an injury suffered ironically twelve months ago at the home of his current employers.

At the other end another recalled back to the starting eleven for Leeds, Tom Adeyemi who had headed home the first in the 2-1 win for the Whites in August, came close to repeating the feat as the on-loan Cardiff City midfielder rose high to meet a cross but his header this time wasn’t threatening Lee Grant.

The game started to open up as Jacob Butterfield was denied by the determined Leeds defence and in a flurry of wild challenges saw three Leeds players quickly booked, Bridcutt, Sam Byram and Luke Murphy all got their name taken.

Derby treaded nervously as the first half started to conclude as Jason Shackell prematurely limped off with a suspected jarred ankle injury to be replaced by former Stoke City versatile defender Ryan Shotton who has seen little game time due to the experienced partnership of Shackell and Richard Keogh being at the heart of the Derby defence. Goal scorer Hendrick then also got booked for a tug on his opponent’s shirt midway into the Rams’ half, the free kick was half cleared by an ineffectual punch by Grant, who flapped at attempting to clear a looping ball back into the box allowing the Leeds captain Bamba to strike home for Steve Evans’ side.

Half Time: Leeds United 1 Derby County 1

After a slight delay to the start of the second half, caused by a hamstring injury to the referee, Derby tried to restore the advantage, former United midfielder Bradley Johnson fired from long range and over the crossbar before the home side’s Northern Irish wideman Stuart Dallas fired straight at Grant.

After another good patient move which saw the former England striker Bent denied, Chris Martin entered the fray as Paul Clement seemed determined to put the sword to the Yorkshire outfit.

Against the run of the play, highly rated Byram’s cross found New Zealander Chris Wood free in the box for the former Leicester City striker to head home and that forced the Derby head coach to make his final throw of the dice replacing Austrian Weimann with Thomas Ince.

Shortly after the impact of the creative wideman latched onto a tidy touch by his fellow winger Johnny Russell to slot the ball home to equalise for the more deserving Rams.

More chances for the away side rained in upon the defences but neither goalkeeper was to be breached once more.

Full Time: Leeds United 1 Derby County 2

Paul Clement came away from this game believing his side had done enough to steal the points from Leeds however rued the poorly defended errors which had lead to the home side scoring goals 14 and 15 versus his side under his stewardship.

The perceptive former Real Madrid number two also added to the comments made by his opponent in the dugout over the television debate by saying that he encouraged Sky Sports to be promoting the clubs they feel are worthy of grabbing the audience whereas Leeds’ Scottish manager Evans bemoaned about the lack of preparation his side had after their second fixture in three days on the television compared to the Rams participating against Fulham the day before the Yorkshire side had faced Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

The Rams end 2015 in a very strong second place and only a point behind their nearest competitive rivals Middlesbrough who have a game in hand due to their postponed fixture at Blackburn on Boxing Day.

Both sides meet at the Riverside Stadium to christen the New Year and both will be determined to see promotion come the conclusion of this current campaign and pundits are not surprised by the strength shown by either Aitor Karanka’s or Paul Clement’s sides.

With the transfer window looming, it will also be interesting to see what activity is done at the iPro Stadium, after major investment in signing £20 million’s worth of talent in the summer, one would assume it will be a quieter month for incomings and those who are struggling to make the cut being told to look elsewhere for first team football. Whatever happens at Derby County over the next few weeks and months, it promises to be an exhilarating rollercoaster journey.

Teams:

Leeds United: Silvestri, Wootton, Bamba, Cooper, Taylor, Byram (y/c – 27 (Phillips -89)), Bridcutt (y/c - 30), Murphy (y/c - 32), Dallas, Adeyemi (Cook – 63), Wood (Doukara – 75); Substitutes – Bellusci, Antenucci, Doukara, Cook, Phillips, Coyle & Peacock-Farrell.

DCFC – Grant, Christie (y/c - 57), Keogh, Shackell (Shotton – 36), Warnock, Hendrick (y/c - 41), Johnson, Butterfield, Russell, Bent (Martin – 62), Weimann (Ince – 76); Substitutes – Martin, Baird, Ince, Hanson, Shotton, Thorne & Mitchell.

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