Jamie Ward struck twice in the first half and Sammon got Derby’s nose in front at the death to score a fabulous away win against a top six opposition. The Rams had looked most likely to capitulate for most of the second half but Conor had a different idea as he made himself a hero as a super sub.

You could not have expected a higher pace to the start of a match as both sides had a goal on the board after only a dozen minutes. The frantic speed at which both teams came out of the blocks left both sets of defenders reeling as the attacks came thick and fast.

Craig Bryson’s cross on eight minutes seemed too high for the height challenged Jamie Ward but the small man made a mockery of my opinion on the matter with a stretch that Inspector Gadget would have been proud of. It was a case of ‘Go Go Gadget Neck’ as Ward leapt and met the ball with a fabulous connection that perfectly placed the ball beyond the Hornet’s keeper and into the top corner.

The travelling Rams army of over 1500 had barely had time to contain their excitement when in the 12th minute, a Watford free kick eventually found Lewis McGugan who split the Rams wide open with a quality ball that first found Forestieri who in turn found the back of the net with Grant and the Rams defence all at sea.

The early goals seemed to pull the game back a notch as both teams poked and prodded seemingly concerned things could get out of hand if they continued at that rate.

The Rams were busy and various attacks and shots did not find their target including efforts from both Bryson & Ward. For the Hornets Daniel Pudil headed over while Diego Fabbrini fired narrowly wide of Grant's near post from the edge of the penalty area.

To the Rams credit their pressure and ability to close down their opposition was rattling the home side as they often gave away possession cheaply. Sometimes the Rams didn’t even need to shut them down as the Hornets made a mess of seemingly simple passes on many occasions.

It was this sloppy distribution that brought them undone in injury time when Iriney gave away the ball allowing Chris Martin and Craig Bryson to combine. Bryson slid the ball across goal unselfishly which met the oncoming run of Ward who tapped it in for his second and a half time 1-2 lead for the Rams.

The Rams started the second half well and could have added another goal when new signing Simon Dawkins, who had been subbed on for the busy but ineffectual Mason Bennett during the break, saw his shot sail just over the bar while Jamie Ward searched for his hat trick, but instead could only manage to find the legs of Watford keeper Almunia with his shot.

After the early attacking thrusts from the Rams Watford took control and dominated most of the play over the next thirty minutes as wave after wave of attacks were either thwarted by desperate Rams defending or by the Hornets inability to finish their good work.

McGugan could only manage to shoot over with two free kicks while Sean Murray gave Grant some work to do with a cracking drive.

In the 68th minute the Hornets finally registered an equaliser as their pressure and persistence finally paid dividends. McGugan exchanged passes with Pudil before he took aim himself and curled a scintillating shot from 20 yards into the top corner.

From here nearly everyone in the stadium, no matter who they were supporting, must have believed that Watford would run over the top of a Rams unit that looked tired and out of ideas but substitute Conor Sammon had different ideas.

His injection was a turning point as he near single handedly got Derby back into the contest as Sammon chased, fought and pressured from the second he was introduced and when he found himself on the end a long ball, should have scored but instead shot straight at the keepers legs.

The Rams had found a final spark and just when it looked as if the game may end all square, in the 88th minute Will Hughes played a fabulous ball through 3 Watford defenders to find Sammon who steadied and this time placed the ball perfectly past the keeper.

The goal seemed to break the Hornets back as rather than try to once again find an equaliser with over 5 minutes of injury time to play, they looked as if the 30 minutes of extreme pressure that now looked to be in vein, sapped what was left of their energy reserves.

Instead it was the Rams who finished the stronger as the goal lifted them to ensure the home team didn’t get a genuine chance to square the ledger for a third time. Running down the clock, a corner and time was up, specifically up for Watford.

Another great away performance, especially as it came against a team in the top 6 who until Saturday were unbeaten at home. Maybe the win was not deserved on the balance of play but it is what you get, not how you get it that is important, especially when playing away.

Unlike Watford’s revised home record, Steve McClaren remains unbeaten as Rams manager with his team finding a way to win, when it looked for all money, as if the game was about to slip away.

If this is what we can expect to see from Macca’s Rams then there will be few Derby fans lining up to make a complaint!

COYR!!

Rams Reaction:

Steve McClaren on bringing on Sammon late to win the match:

"I think we were always going to do that, Paul Simpson was very good in that respect. We talked about the changes and it was a decision to make, do we put a defender on and try to stop the flow and try to hang on or change the system and try to go forward? And, to be fair, Paul Simpson was saying 'go for it, let's try and get the winner'. We decided to do that and he did a great job, Conor - it worked."

"I thought it was a great game for the neutral and for the two sets of fans. I thought it was a see-saw game and two teams who like to play football. They had some very good players on view - we did as well. Some of the football they played and we did was tremendous.”

"I like the team. It works hard, it's got character, attitude, can play football and can score goals. We came out on top today. It could have been the other way round very easily but we just got the edge and I think deserved the win in the end."

Hornets Reaction:

Watford ’s Gianfranco Zola was not happy his team did not go on to take all 3 points:

"It is tough to take but I have to say we have to blame ourselves, it is not enough to play good football like we did today, it is not enough to score two great goals like we did today. We need to get better in defending.”

"To win championships you have to be able to attack well as we did today and as we can do but we need to defend better. We want to do better than we did last year and to do that we need everyone to improve, so we need to defend a little bit better than that. And when I say that, that doesn't mean it's only the defenders - everyone does.”

"The midfielders and the strikers have to work a little bit more because in modern football you cannot think you only defend with the defenders. Everyone has to participate."

"When we analysed the opposition we said this team is very dangerous. Before this game they won four games, three of them were away from home. We saw them and they were very dangerous when you lose the ball and they start counters and I think some of our passing on the deck was very poor - or at least not as good as normal and that's something we cannot afford."

Match Stats:

Attendance: 16,180 (1,550 Travelling Rams).

Possession: Hornets 55 — Rams 45

Shots (On Target ): Hornets 15 (3) — Rams 10 (5)

Corners: Hornets 4 — Rams 4

Fouls: Hornets 18 — Rams 11

Ref / Teams / Goals:

Ref: James Linington

The Rams: Grant (GK), Smith, Keogh, Whitbread (Buxton 33’), Forsyth, Eustace, Bryson, Hughes, Bennett (Dawkins 46’), Martin, Ward (Sammon 76’).

Unused Subs: Morch (GK), Lowe, Freeman, Jacobs.

Goals: Jamie Ward (8’,46’), Conor Sammon (88’)

The Hornets: Almunia (GK); Belkalem, Angella, Ekstrand; Cassetti, McEachran, Iriney (Murray 55’), McGugan, Pudil; Fabbrini (Acuña 76'), Forestieri.

Unused Subs: Bond (GK), Brown, Battocchio, Doyley, Smith.

Goals: Fernando Forestieri (12’), Lewis McGugan (68’)

Match Video Highlights:

Sammon on his late winner:

Ward on his brilliant brace:

Next up for The Super Rams now with added Super Fish:

Derby vs. Birmingham

3pm - 26^th October 2013

Pride Park Stadium

Photo: Action Images

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