Well........ This was a great advertisement for The Championship and you will have missed a great game of football. It was a very hard fought game but never dirty. You can see why Brighton are top of the table. And Derby were ever so slightly off their game such that home advantage was in the main, neutralised in spite of 30,500 spectators - another brilliant gate so near to Christmas. I thought it was largely well refereed even if Lee Mason was a bit full of his own importance. Not a bad thing if he gets his decisions right! Which brings us to the penalty. Somebody certainly sent Johnny Russell clattering so I think it was a correct decision. But I was on the point of despair at our ever equalising so it was a source of real comfort that he gave it and that Martin had the balls to take and to score. I would have hated waiting all week -football starved - just to see Brighton beat us.
There were those who were thinking Brighton would not last the course. They're a big tough side, their defence made Martin look small and Ymann positively diminutive - and they were very fast on the break. I expect their away points tally is no worse than their home tally. Solid defence and quick, one touch breaks, very well suit playing on other's turf. It was easy to see why nobody has beaten them yet. But for Derby County - we've come through a very tough run of games, not been beaten and collected 8 points on the way.
Keogh was my MOTM though Christie and Warnock ran him close. They both put in really strong performances. Shackell too, hardly put a foot wrong. Maybe I chose Keogh because it annoys the hell out of One of Our Larger (Supporters)? Nobody was poor. It's just that we did not have the extra spark to get through that big defence. It was significant that both our goals came from set pieces. It proved very hard to break them down in open play. Hendrick and especially Russell looked sharp and keen when they came on. For me I would pick Russell ahead of Ince but I think PC is afraid of demoralising the latter.
Now we need 3 points from Bristol and 3 from Fulham and our season will be back on track.
For Those who Could Not Attend
posted on 13/12/15
Tbf I haven't seen the reply, but Russell had crossed the ball, but I will accept it. I can't remember many if any derby players appealing at the time. Anyone remember the pen we got against Rotherham in the 3 div to win the game and go up? I still to this day can't see what it was given for but I will have it
posted on 13/12/15
Russell likes to run across defenders to draw the foul. It is one of his strengths as a player. We had a decent shout for a penalty in the first half when Martin was flattened in the box so karma prevails.
posted on 13/12/15
Griff
The ref blew for the penalty in that Rotherham game even before we had taken the free kick outside the box. I have always wondered whether Stuart Webb might have been owed a favour by the ref for some unknown reason.
posted on 13/12/15
Haven't seen any decent highlights (except the sky ones), as they don't seem to have appeared on the website yet, but you don't have to be in possession of the ball to be fouled.
posted on 13/12/15
It was a penalty. It was a very late clobbering tackle. If he had not done it late he would have got the ball and it would not have been a penalty.
He was a good ref. But he should perhaps have blown for a penalty for and ball since they received a huge advantage by it hitting the defender's hand
posted on 13/12/15
In the first half that is.
posted on 13/12/15
Just seen the highlights and for their second goal which came from a mistake between Hendrick and Johnson. Watch Hendrick stroll back after putting his defence under pressure. Giving him the benefit of the doubt that he thought he couldn't have helped but he was fresh legs on the pitch and should have been getting back quickly to support his defenders.
posted on 13/12/15
Had chris martin been recieving some stick from the fans behind the goal? I just watched the highlights and he looked very angry to say theleast when he scored, seemed to be mouthing off looking up into the stand and then kicked something next to him.
posted on 14/12/15
Stop all this crap talk about Martin. No one was moaning about him. We'd sang his song well before he scored.
posted on 14/12/15
No crap talk from me iwas, martin is an indispensible member of our team, was merely asking a question due to his reaction after scoring.