RamZone Wrap: McClaren Scratches Head As Derby Fail To Finish
Sunday, 16th Mar 2014 08:30 by Daniel J Sewart

Once again the Rams failed to score despite a plethora of chances, especially during a fabulous first half of football. Despite earning the point on a tough road trip, Derby’s hopes of sneaking into the automatic promotion places, may be fading away.

With Derby now not having found a goal or a victory in 4 matches, Burnley will have to fall in a heap and The Rams will have to reverse their inability to score goals, to give them any chance of a top 2 finish.

Hughes came back into McClaren’s starting line up for Hendrick but the rest of the team remained unchanged from the nil-all draw against Bolton on Tuesday night.

Reading had an early chance when Drenthe's free-kick was heading in until the head of Rams Captain Richard Keogh got in the way of its journey to goal.

Jamie Ward was lively from the outset and his run down the right broke open the Reading defence which allowed him a cross into the box which would have snuck into the goal had it not been for Gunter sho cleared the ball.

The Rams were beginning to run riot as they played some scintillating football that included some great link up play that was regularly carving open Reading. Unfortunately it was a carbon copy of the last few matches, as that brilliant football came to nought as an inability to finish their hard work off becomes increasingly frustrating.

Martin should have had a goal when he had two chances saved in succession as the Rams goal drought continued to taunt them with every unconverted chance they created.

Derby did not need any more bad luck but still it came as Will Hughes, who had been at the centre of some of the best Rams play, succumbed to injury in the 29th minute and was replaced by Hendrick.

Ward and Martin both continued to batter the home team when they had shots blocked. Normally you would have thought it was only a matter of time until one went in but instead, it just felt more and more like this curse was going to hold on tight rather than loosen its grip!

Gunter made an error on the ball that let Ward in on goal but the Rams winger failed to test Reading keeper Alex McCarthy as the shot went well wide.

The home team tried to wrestle back some ascendency and Drenthe could have easily set up a goal but luckily for the Rams, instead of feeding his teams mates as they steamed into the box, he chose to shoot from a difficult angle and could only find the side netting.

The Rams tried to break their duck before the half time break with Martin heading wide from a Ward cross while Forsyth sent his effort over after Ward once again provided great service, this time from a corner.

No goals in the first 45… again.

11 shots to 3 said it all, as Derby was once again heading for a goalless 90 minutes.

HT: 0 — 0

Reading came out in the second half looking to stamp their authority on the match after being bossed for most of the first 45 and immediately McAnuff had Grant working hard as he was called on to save his shot.

Moments later Grant was called into action again when Akpan’s attempt took a deflection off Gorkss, luckily the ball found its way to The Rams keeper, rather than the back of the net.

Dawkins nearly broke the drought when McAnuff gave up the ball but instead of striking, The Rams attacker dilly dallied on the ball and his indecision allowed defenders to regroup and close his shot down.

The game was opening up as both teams tired and McCleary nearly successfully fed substitute Le Fondre, only for him to mess up his opportunity from no more than a few yards out.

McClaren had thrown Russell & Bamford into the mix and Bamford came closest when he found him self one on one with McCarthy. The Chelsea loanee's shot was too close to the keeper which allowed the Reading stopper to get a touch on it for a corner.

The final chance of note fell again to Bamford who just when it looked like he may unleash a strike, lost his footing and could not break the deadlock before the final whistle.

FT: 0 - 0

You can’t fault the team’s effort and endeavour, they do far more right than wrong and in the plus column, are no longer leaking the goals they were earlier in the season.

But the reality is, if McClaren and Co. can’t find a way for their team to regain their scoring touch, not only will chances of a top 2 berth be soon out of sight, other teams will steadily close in on our at one stage safe Play-Off position.

With only 7 points between 3rd and 8th, things may fast become nervy if suddenly The Rams are required to dig deep to just make the play-offs.

A scenario that until a few weeks ago would have seemed unlikely, on recent results, may become a reality. Luckily next time out, we meet a team in worse recent form than us.

Next Saturday against Forest will be the best time to stop the rot and launch a late season charge to the finish line - nothing would be sweeter!

Gaffer Reaction — We Said / They Said:

We Said - Steve McClaren:

“I’m scratching my head a little bit just how we didn’t score. Both sides had chances during the game but we had pretty good opportunities to score the first goal, which would have been crucial. We had the chances to win the game and I guess it’s a measure of how well we played that we’re perhaps slightly disappointed we didn’t get all three points.”

“Today was a big pressure game for us and we dealt with it really well; the composure the players showed was excellent. We asked them beforehand to either maintain or extend the gap between ourselves and Reading and we’ve done that.”

“Our performance was good, we dominated for spells and created chances - but at the minute the goals aren’t quite coming for us. They’ll come though and if we weren’t playing well and weren’t creating chances - then I would be concerned.”

They said — Reading Manager Nigel Adkins:

"I'm not too worried about that (slipping out of the top 6), our confidence is still high and the players have been top drawer for me. There's a lot of positivity about the place. We've been the course and distance before and it's a very exciting time here. We're really looking forward to the last 10 games.”

"They're a good side, Derby. We looked to nullify them as they looked to nullify us. I thought we were really strong in the second half. We missed quite a few chances but that's the way it happens sometimes."

Match Stats: Reading / Derby:

Possession: 46% / 54%

Corners: 2 / 7

Shots (On Target): 12 (2) / 17 (3)

Fouls: 16 / 13

Match Info:

Referee: Michael Jones

Attendance: 19,514 (inc. 1623 Travelling Rams)

Derby County: Grant (GK); Wisdom, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth; Eustace, Hughes (Hendrick 29’), Bryson; Ward (Russell 90’), Martin, Dawkins (Bamford 62’).

Unused Subs: Legzdins, Whitbread, Sammon, Thorne

Reading: McCarthy (GK); Gunter, Obita, Gorkss, Pearce; Akpan, Guthrie, McCleary, McAnuff; Drenthe (Blackman 79’); Robson-Kanu (Le Fondre 32’).

Unused Subs: Federici (GK), Kelly, Hector, Taylor, Blackman, Pogrebnyak.