Following three defeats on the spin and particularly after the debacle at the King Power last weekend, there have been a few musings from pundits and spectators alike that our young players would now start to get found out.

Hopefully, their humble pie tasted horrible last night after the Rams showed stomach for the fight with a superb resilient display, to finally dispel another team in the top six.

There was almost disaster pre-match as due to the infinite wisdom of someone from the Council, the A52 was shut from my neck of the woods leading to the home of football.

The beads of sweat were building as fifty minutes into the journey; it became apparent that the pre-match pint could be in serious jeopardy. Thankfully, a favourable queue and some German-style disregard for ‘first come first served’, the crisis was averted.

Arguably for the first time under his reign, McClaren was served a serious selection poser. Choosing to bring the skipper back was a no-brainer, the same said for Eustace, who I still can’t quite believe was dropped last week. Perhaps the most surprising name on the team-sheet was Jamie Ward, who for my money has spent far too much time drinking in the last-chance saloon lately.

Nevertheless, as I took my seat, there was that big-game feel around, with the potential for an excellent game between two footballing - sides.

‘If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he’d have put grass up there,’ as the late-great Brian Clough once testified. Immediately, Brighton served notice to this by sipping the ball around with aplomb. The sort of start with suggests you know that it’s going to be a proper test.

The early stages were full of the type of cat-and-mouse tactics that everything had pointed to pre-match. This was never going to be goals galore, with both sides very evenly matched in style. For all of the pretty football on display, the opening quarter was more of a probing session on both accounts.

Going forward, we looked tight, with Brighton well organised. The same can be said of our back four, with the dangerous Ulloa and Orlandi looking a threat, albeit with little to trouble Grant.

Will Hughes, one sensed, could be key in producing quality to unlock the door, but too often, his normal assured touch was letting him down, and thus our play was sporadic.

Tempo was proving important, and as I find myself saying every week, when we play quickly, we are as good as anybody. Dawkins did his best to inject a bit of pace, and was hacked down for his troubles, resulting in the first of a glut of cards from the referee, who seemed to have quite a few left over from the festive season.

Ward then produced our first effort of note, cutting inside from the left and curling an effort just wide. This seemed to ignite the crowd, who were up again after Keogh superbly carried the ball from the edge of his own area before finding Wisdom via Ward. His low cross found Dawkins, who shimmied and produced an excellent centre crying out for a tap-in, which no-one produced.

The majority of the game was being played in the middle third, with Eustace and Bryson readily getting stuck in. For all of our good work defensively, our old Achilles heel very neared reared its ugly head in the best chance of the first half for the visitors.

A corner from the left found ex-England international (typed through gritted teeth and disbelief) Matthew Upson unmarked in the middle of the area. His bullet header looked destined for net, until Grant produced a stunning reaction stop to divert the ball over the bar.

As the half ended, our work-rate was beginning to bear fruit, with our high pressing game causing a few errors from Brighton’s back four. Martin though was not looking after the ball enough when we did get good possession. As half-time came; you sensed that one goal could well be enough.

The teams re-emerged with no changes, and no real chance in the pattern of the game in the first exchanges of the second period. Ward’s cross from the right was too close to Kuszczak, whilst at the other end, Andrews and Orlandi shot well wide from distance.

Eustace was then booked for clattering into a challenge, the sort of bitty free-kick which may have come in useful in stopping Leicester’s charge last Friday.

With the visitors arguably settling quicker in the second period, Mclaren made a bold double change. It was no surprise to see Will Hughes replaced, just a case of one of those days for the young man, with Hendrick his replacement. Bamford, who in my mind was unlucky to start, came on for Dawkins, who had faded after a positive start.

Bamford’s first involvement was to face a barrage of abuse from Keogh and Eustace after failing to track back and let Orlandi shoot high and wide. Keogh and Ulloa were enjoying numerous tussles, with the skipper impressing on his return. Wisdom too was excellent, his powerful, robust style perfect in stifling tricky opponents.

Up top, we were starting to slow glimpses, again helped by a quicker tempo. Ward was felled twenty-five yards out to provide a clear shot at goal. Normal free-kick candidate Bryson was ushered away as Bamford lined up the shot.

A free-kick master then perhaps?

The iPro held its collective breath as the young-man stepped up. What happened next was the free-kick equivalent to Jason Puncheon’s penalty for Palace last week, with the ball still travelling somewhere between Mars and Jupiter as I write.

Slowly, the game was opening up, with Brighton’s claim for a penalty waved away after the ball was smashed at Wisdom’s considerable chest, rather than his hand. It came as a surprise then to see the Liverpool mans game end prematurely, with him limping off carrying a hamstring strain that hadn’t seemed to have hindered him at all.

What was more surprising was to see Connor Sammon as his replacement, meaning Jeff Hendrick was utilised as an emergency right-back. If the visitors smelt blood, they didn’t have the chance to smell it for long as almost immediately, the elusive moment of quality came.

Following another one-two, Ward seemed to be tripped on the edge of the box. As the stadium waited for a free-kick, the ball fell perfectly to Bamford who curled in a majestic first-time effort into the corner.

Exuberant celebrations followed from the young man, and why not? Still, there was a job to be done with fifteen still to play.

From the restart, we looked worryingly out of shape, with Martin dropping deeper to play behind Sammon, but leaving more of a hole in the middle.

Indeed, Brighton almost hit straight back, with the ball dropping to Ulloa via Hendrick in the box. It looked like a handball from the big striker (who probably wouldn’t have continued his game-long moaning at the ref session should he have scored) before he stabbed the ball low towards the corner. Grant though was again up to the job, plunging to his right to push the ball away. The warning signs were there though.

The last ten minutes seemed to go on forever, with us quite content on keeping what we had and the ball not sticking to Sammon enough. This said, we never really looked in trouble, with the two-centre halves magnificent in dealing with everything in the air. A mention too for Hendrick, who was top-drawer playing out of position.

As added time approached, Ward and Bruno had a tête-à-tête in the far corner, with rumours that Ward called him a 'rubbish Sammon look-alike', still unconfirmed. Still, this was as dangerous as it threatened to get as we manfully saw the job through. Grant and Buxton’s bear hug in front of me summed up what the result meant and could possibly mean in the long run.

Led by the back four, we had beaten a good, organised side that will surely be there or thereabouts in the play-off hunt. Keogh in particular, was superb, bringing back the leadership quality lacking in his absence.

What also struck me during my post-match pint reflection (there wasn’t a chance I was missing that!) was how McLaren’s positive substitutions had served to win the game heading for a draw.

For all of his good points, you would be hard pressed to find anyone who thinks that Clough would have gone the same way, with arguably four strikers on the pitch in the hope of winning the game. Perhaps the difference may be the positivity shown tactically come the end of the season.

One thing is for sure, if we produce the sheer guts, determination and resilience on show here, who would bet against us adding at least a couple more fixtures to the forty-six?

Post Match Reaction:

We Said — Derby Head Coach Steve McClaren:

"Patrick showed great composure. There was no panic. We know he's got that quality and it needed a calm head in that situation. It's great when you have players who can change a game.

It's a squad game. You need players who can come on and help change a game, and the squad won that game today, not the team."

They Said — Brighton Manager Oscar Garcia:

"I felt we were the better side in the first half but we didn’t score. The second half was more equal but they scored, we didn’t, that was the difference. Their goalkeeper was man of the match because he made some great saves and that was another factor between them and us.”

Weston’s Player Ratings

Lee Grant: Two fantastic saves to win us the game. Confident with the ball at his feet and looked commanding. Led from the back Rating - 8

Craig Forsyth: Coped well with Brighton’s pace. Solid in the air, wasteful with two crosses though - 6

Andre Wisdom: Excellent display. Strong, powerful and linked well going forwards. Sorry to see him go off, keep our fingers crossed that he isn’t out for long - 8

Jake Buxton: Another solid display from Bucko. Got better as the game progressed. Will have been pleased to get the nod in front of Keane and Whitbread - 7

Richard Keogh: Outstanding return from the skipper. Kept Ulloa at bay brilliantly, marshalled the back-four throughout. Looked excellent with the ball at his feet. Oh to have had this against Leicester. Weston’s star man - 9

Craig Bryson: As you would expect from the busy number 4. Chased manfully and was key to breaking up dangerous moves - 6

John Eustace: Shouldn’t have been dropped against Leicester and showed why today. Does the ugly stuff very well - 7

Will Hughes: Possibly the worst I’ve seen him play. Just didn’t happen for the young man, but more down the one of those days than a cause for concern - 5

Jamie Ward: Better from Wardy, looked more threatening going forwards and did his defensive duties well. Maybe one more drink in the last-chance saloon! - 7

Simon Dawkins: Faded after a bright start to the game. - 6

Chris Martin: Didn’t do enough for me. Could have held the ball up more but was well-looked after in fairness - 6

Subs:

Jeff Hendrick: Brilliant in covering for Wisdom, didn’t see an awful lot of him in midfield. - 7

Conor Sammon: Chased and worked hard as per but was guilty of not holding the ball enough when we needed him too - 6

Patrick Bamford: If Carlsberg did home debuts! Looked a little nervy before the goal but from then, relaxed and looked confident and skilful. Just don’t mention the free-kick…. - 7

Match Stats — Derby / Brighton:

Possession: 51% / 49%

Corners: 3 / 3

Offsides: 0 / 3

Shots (On Target): 6 (2) / 8 (2)

Fouls: 15 / 14

Match Info:

Crowd:25,392

Ref: Andy Haines

Derby: Grant (GK), Wisdom (Sammon 73'), Buxton, Keogh, Forsyth, Eustace, Hughes (Hendrick 60'), Bryson, Ward, Martin, Dawkins (Bamford 60').

Unused Subs: Legzdins (GK), Bennett, Whitbread, Keane.

Goals: Bamford (76’)

Brighton: Kuszczak (GK), Bruno, Ward, Andrews, Greer, Upson, Forster—Caskey (Obika 79'), Ince, Ulloa, Lopez (Agustien 82'), Orlandi (March 66').

Unused Subs: Brezovan (GK), Dunk, Calderon, Chicksen.

Match Video Highlights / Reaction:

Photo: Action Images

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