Warne: I’d count that as my favourite win since arriving at Pride Park
PAUL Warne named Saturday’s 1-0 win over Stevenage as his “favourite” victory in his time as Derby County head coach.
It was a grim battle against Steve Evans’ gritty Stevenage play-off chasers, eventually settled by Louie Sibley’s 90th-minute strike.
But it was a combination of factors which delighted Warne – the way his side kept going, the way they coped without an authentic number nine with all of those currently at the club injured, the backing of the Pride Park crowd and, of course, in the end, the result.
“I am pleased for the whole dressing room,” said Warne.
“It is probably my favourite win in my time at the club. Everything sort of came together at the right time.
“That is the loudest I have heard Pride Park since I have been here.
“I loved it and appreciate the fans helping the lads.
“It would be nice if it was that they recognised we didn’t have a striker and needed to help the lads over the line. The atmosphere was amazing, and I really enjoyed it.
“Everyone put a real shift in. There are a few battered and bruised bodies in the dressing room and for everyone to step up, and for Sibs to get the winner, felt good and was an emotional time.
“I do tell the lads that everyone has a part to play. I’d love to bring everyone on off the bench so they all get minutes but I can’t.
“Each player that stepped on the pitch contributed and Korey Smith and Louie Sibley are an example of that.
“Without Collo (Collins), we had to find a way to make us competitive and stop Stevenage’s threat.
“We picked a team to defend and have a threat at the same time.
“We didn’t do enough going forward in the first half, there weren’t enough connecting passes through the lines at all. There was no real rhythm to how we played.
“We were better in the second half and I thought we looked the fitter side.
“It is hard to ask someone to play up top with their back to goal when it isn’t their position. It is a hard skill.
“It does take everyone, it will do moving forward, and some games suit certain players.
“At the final whistle, you get scenes that you can take with you for the rest of their life.
“The players are lucky to be professional footballers, so I encourage them to make the most of it and not a waste a minute. I leave here today very, very proud.”
Warne’s upbeat mood was tempered by the bad news over Collins’ injury, which is likely to keep him out for most of what is left of the season, if not all.
“You could see the effect of Collo not being out on the pitch,” said Warne.
“I knew after the Exeter game, with the way the medical team were talking, it wasn’t a good sign.
“He is going to be out for a good period, significant weeks. If we are fortunate, we could see him near the end of the season.
“Collo is a great professional and is really dedicated.
“He will be a big miss and we’ll do everything to get him back before the end of the season.”
Stevenage manager Steve Evans felt a draw would have been a fair result and that his side were denied a penalty.
“It’s hard to take. I think the draw is probably the right result. There were limited chances in both boxes,” said Evans.
“The goal came from Aaron Pressley losing his shape defensively. I know he’s an attacker but we have a plan and he switched off.
“Two passes later, it was in our net.
“I think Paul Warne was thinking it would be a point.
“I think they’d run out of ideas and if we’d kept our shape and our discipline, we don’t concede.”
He added: “We should have had a clear penalty in the first half for handball. We must have run over a black cat – but we’ll regroup.”
■■THE Rams were hoping to clinch the signing of free agent striker Dwight Gayle early this week.
The need for a striker has become more urgent with the injury to 18-goal James Collins.
Gayle has visited Derby’s training ground and met Warne but apparently has other options available, while the Rams also need the EFL’S approval of the deal as part of their business plan.