Scunthorpe United v Derby County

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Football League Championship

Scunthorpe United :
Murphy, Williams, Byrne, Jones, A.Wright, Sparrow, McCann (J.Wright 80), Woolford, O'Connor (Togwell 87), Hayes, Hooper (Forte 85).
Subs not used:
Lillis, Canavan, Thompson, May.

Derby County :
Bywater, Connolly (Barker 89), McEveley (Commons 53), Addison, Buxton, Moxey, Green (Hulse 73), Croft, Savage, Teale, Pearson.
Subs not used:
Deeney, Leacock, Pringle, Varney.

SULSESC REPORT

by Derby Evening Telegraph at Glanford Park

AN old problem has returned to trouble Derby County in the new campaign.

Too often last season, they were too loose defensively all over the pitch.

This was highlighted by the stats.

Sixty seven goals conceded in 46 matches landed the Rams with the fifth worst defensive record in the Championship.

They leaked an average of 1.45 goals per game and only relegated Charlton Athletic (74), Norwich City (70) and Southampton (69) let in more, as did Watford (72).

Nigel Clough was not impressed and tightening up the team topped the manager's "to do" list in the summer.

But two League games into the season, they have conceded four goals against opponents who are feeling their way in the second tier of English football after promotion.

The record is six in three matches, if you count the two Derby let in against League Two Rotherham United in the Carling Cup.

Concerning cracks appeared in the opening-day victory over Peterborough United, who created enough chances in the second half to have scored more than once.

Those cracks became gaping on Saturday as the Rams crumbled to a bitterly disappointing 3-2 defeat by Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park.

They had no answer to Scunthorpe's front two of Gary Hooper and Paul Hayes in the first half.

The pair, who hit 49 goals between them last season, gave Derby's defenders a torrid time.

On a tight pitch with space at a premium, the link between them was based on quick-thinking and clever movement.

And with the impressive Michael O'Connor providing the ammunition for them from the middle of the park, it was all too hot for Derby too handle.

They carved open the Rams' back line time and again and the home side could easily have been 5-2 rather than 2-1 up at the break.

Hooper scored two and should have had a hat-trick, although he was denied by a brilliant one-handed save by Stephen Bywater.

Hayes wasted two glorious chances with Derby's defences in shreds.

The scoring started after 17 minutes when Hayes spotted Martyn Woolford and when Bywater parried the cross-shot, Hooper pounced to find the net from close range.

But the space right-back Andrew Wright was given to start the move was down to sloppy shape when Scunthorpe had the ball.

Derby equalised three minutes later when Paul Green finished a neat move.

Stephen Pearson provided the final pass to Green just outside the area and in a central position. He took a touch and fired a low shot wide of Joe Murphy, who had no chance.

Green produced a similar run from midfield shortly before half-time but his shot lacked the accuracy of his earlier effort and a good opportunity to take the lead and dent Scunthorpe's confidence was wasted.

Scunthorpe finally found the second goal their bright play deserved a minute before the interval.

A neat one-two between Hooper and Hayes undid Jake Buxton and Hooper drove a shot low across Bywater, who got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out.

Derby went into the game short of fully-fit front men.

Steve Davies was out injured, Luke Varney did not do enough against Rotherham to warrant a start, Rob Hulse was not ready to start and the decision to be careful with Kris Commons after he had played 90 minutes for Scotland in Norway in the week was understandable.

But using winger Gary Teale as an emergency lone striker did not work.

And Jay McEveley, normally a left-back, filled the wide left role.

"We put our fittest players on the pitch," said Clough.

Commons was on early in the second half for McEveley. This allowed Teale to return to his more accustomed position on the wing and Derby, probably stung by the manager's words at half-time, improved.

They equalised for a second time when Commons coolly converted a penalty on the hour after Green had been clattered by goalkeeper Joe Murphy.

Green's energy is important to Derby, although his foot is still not quite right.

He won the penalty when he gambled to latch on to Miles Addison's knock-down following an accurate ball into the area by Paul Connolly.

Suddenly the Rams, with Robbie Savage keeping the ball moving, looked capable of winning, although the end product from the wide areas was still missing.

However, the naivety seen at 1-1 returned to cost them eight minutes from the end.

That man Hooper found Matt Sparrow, who played Woolford into acres of space on the left side of Derby's defence and he guided his finish low past the advancing Bywater.

After rescuing themselves twice, the Rams should have had enough in their locker to take a point, even if it would have been undeserved.

The fact they did not, coupled with some awful defending, made the club's first competitive match at Scunthorpe's home one to forget.

Not all problems can be ironed out overnight when a new team is being shaped and there will be highs and lows along the way but Derby cannot defend as they did at Scunthorpe or be as loose as they were and expect to get away with it.

The Championship is a tough enough environment without shooting yourself in the foot.

Derby need to tighten up.