Rams hold off division’s top scorers Fulham to bring home a big point
IT’S A STALEMATE AT CRAVEN COTTAGE BUT DERBY AGAIN SHOW GUTS AND CHARACTER IN THEIR SURVIVAL FIGHT
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BATTLING Derby County kept the Championship’s top scorers, Fulham, at bay to secure another point in their survival battle at Craven Cottage.
The home side, with 48 goals in 18 matches before this game, 14 more than anyone else in the division, threatened plenty and hit the woodwork but they could not break through and Derby were not without their own chances.
There were two changes to the Rams team. Striker Sam Baldock and defender Lee Buchanan and suffered injuries in Sunday’s victory over Bournemouth and missed out. Nathan Byrne and Craig Forsyth came in.
Byrne, suspended for the Bournemouth game, returned to his rightback position and Festy Ebosele moved forward into a right-side attacking role. Forsyth was at leftback in place of Buchanan.
Liam Thompson kept his place in midfield following the 19-year-old’s impressive League debut at the weekend and, in Baldock’s absence, skipper Tom Lawrence was used as a false number nine, a role he has filled at times this season.
Fulham had won their previous seven matches but the division’s top scorer, Aleksandar Mitrovic, was sidelined, as was midfielder Tom Cairney.
The home side made a confident start, as expected on the back of their excellent run.
Fabio Carvalho sent a shot wide after neat build-up play before a mix-up between Kelle Roos and Byrne almost let in Neeskens Kebano.
Jean Michael Seri began to orchestrate matters for Fulham from his deep-lying midfield position but it was Derby who forced the first save of the contest from Paulo Gazzaniga.
Curtis Davies drove forward and found Lawrence, who cut inside and saw his low shot pushed behind by the keeper at his near post.
Seri’s influence quickly grew and he was inches away from giving his side the lead when his right-foot strike from 20 yards beat Roos and crashed back off the bar.
Most of the threat was coming from Fulham but Derby gave their hosts plenty to think about.
Ebosele powered past Antonee Robinson and his testing low cross was hacked behind by Tosin Adarabioyo.
The Rams did not make the most of their corners, though, and needed a smart save by Roos to keep them level.
He showed sharp reactions to push the ball behind after Kebano’s free kick took a wicked deflection off the Derby wall and the Rams just about managed to scramble the ball clear from the corner.
Back came Fulham. Carvalho wriggled his way into the area to toepoke an effort well wide before Rodrigo Muniz rifled a shot wide of Roos’ near post.
But Ebosele continued to give Robinson a tough time and when the ball broke to Lawrence he strode forward and his rising drive had Gazzaniga diving high to his right to push the ball away.
There had been plenty of action at both ends of the field and it was something of a surprise to see a goalless scoreline at half-time. A timely challenge by Byrne on Kebano yards from Derby’s goal played a part in this.
Roos held a low drive from Carvalho early in the second half as Fulham looked to step things up.
Davies made a couple of crucial interventions before Carvalho controlled the ball, turned and his effort struck a post with Roos stranded.
Ebosele was booked for a foul on Kebano but Derby’s midfielders were getting to the ball quicker than they had done in the first half and this was giving Fulham, and Seri, less time on the ball.
Graeme Shinnie, Max Bird, Jason Knight and Thompson were more involved, although, worryingly for Derby, Ebosele was helped off and replaced by Colin Kazim-Richards after 70 minutes.
Roos made a flying save to keep out Carvalho’s volley and then Davies was on hand to clear off the line from Muniz as Fulham pressed.
The home crowd were on their feet when Muniz produced a wonderful acrobatic overhead kick and the ball flashed over Derby’s bar.
And yet the Ramas had the final chance, inside four minutes of stoppage time, when substitute Ravel Morrison set up Knight for a shot which went wide.
Derby may need wins, not draws, but this was a very good effort.