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Rams Head To Brighton Benefitting From Pressure Release
Sunday, 1st May 2016 10:30 by Nathan Morley

On Bank Holiday Monday the Rams make their last away trip of the 15/16 league campaign with a visit to automatic promotion chasers Brighton.

Brighton hasn’t lost at the Amex since the 1st of January and, in their last three home games, has scored 11 goals. In the month of April the Seagulls hit 18 goals in their 6 matches. With a photo-finish at the top looking very likely as the three sides sit on 87 point, making this game huge.

It’s a daunting task for Derby to go there at get a positive result. Although recent form has seen two consecutive wins on the road, away games remains a weaker spot in their armour with just 3 away league wins since the turn of the year.

The Rams keeping up this unbeaten run (5 games) ahead of the play-offs is important, as is getting some good match practice against the 3rd placed side in the league and potential Wembley opponents for the Rams.

One good thing is that Chris Martin has a cracking record of scoring against Brighton with 7 goals in his 6 games against the Sussex side for Derby, including in the play-offs two years ago (again, please!).

The Rams have had their play-off place secure since beating Bristol City on Tuesday of last week. For the game against Sheffield Wednesday Darren Wassall chose not to rotate, with Will Hughes coming in as a forced change with George Thorne ill. So is it time now to make a change or two?

It’s important to have as many players match sharp if called upon for the play-offs and especially important to have Hughes fit and ready after a long lay off. I would save any rotation until the last game of the season against Ipswich and certainly consider Darren Bent, Andreas Weimann and co, who have not had much game time recently.

Thorne is available for selection after illness kept him out last week, whilst Bradley Johnson may return to the squad. It was a shame that, after two goals against Hull, he picked up an injury just as he seemed to turn a corner having struggled for form for a while.

It now seems inevitable that Hull will be our play-off opponents with a 5th place finish for Derby the most likely scenario, but after Hull went down 1-0 at Bolton yesterday there is still something for the Rams to play for.

Whichever venue they are played at, the playoff matches will take place on Saturday (14th) lunchtime for the first leg and then Tuesday (17th) evening under the lights for the second leg.

4th, 5th and 6th places seem pretty secure, meanwhile for 1st, 2nd and 3rd it is all to play for. Of those competing for the automatic promotion spots I would least like to face Burnley, followed closely by Middlesbrough in the final.

But before we can dream of another playoff final, Hull will have a massive point to prove and be fired up after losing both league games to the Rams, but increasingly in recent weeks my confidence has grown.

It’s odd how we’ve expected promotion all season but a couple of months’ poor form changed everything, now just as it is no longer expected they have turned things around considerably, maybe the team are benefitting from that pressure being lifted.


For more of Nathan's articles you can read his blog at www.derbycountyfan.com and follow him via @ramscorner on Twitter.




Photo: Action Images



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