‘MAGIC’ WILSON CONJURES A WIN
FRANK Lampard handed star billing to Harry Wilson, but then told the winger he can improve after victory over Swansea City.
The on-loan Liverpool forward became Derby’s top scorer, after they went into the match without the injured Jack Marriott who had scored six goals in eight games. But it hardly mattered as they dominated a flimsy Swansea and took control from the start.
The home side had the ball in the net after four minutes, only for Richard Keogh to be ruled offside.
Swansea had spent most of the opening 20 minutes inside their own half, but they almost scored in the 22nd minute when Keogh’s hesitation allowed Dan James to get in on the right and his chip drifted just past Scott Carson’s right-hand post.
Derby responded with Tom Lawrence setting up Mason Mount for a shot that went just wide, but Carson saved well from Jay Fulton before Wilson fired the home side ahead in the 30th minute.
Wilson picked the ball up 25 yards out and hit a swerving shot that gave Erwin Mulder no chance. And 10 minutes later he added a second.
Oli McBurnie gifted the ball to Wilson, who advanced to the edge of the area before placing a low shot past Mulder.
It summed up what had been a flimsy first-half Swansea display and Wilson was close to a third in the 47th minute with a 20-yard shot that Mulder palmed away.
It was no surprise when Swansea made a double substitution in the 54th minute and McBurnie had a chance a minute later, but his header was saved by Carson.
Derby looked capable of more goals and Tom Lawrence was close to a third when he was given far too much space in the area.
There was a glimmer of hope for Swansea when Jefferson Montero got free at the back post in the 73rd minute, but he headed into the side netting when he should have tested Carson. Lawrence was denied by Mulder, but Swansea grabbed a lifeline when a Matthew Grimes corner was turned in by Tomori to set up a nervous finale for Derby.
Lampard admitted it should have been more comfortable for his team and said: “The only thing lacking was a third or fourth goal and when you don’t score that you leave yourself open to a nervy end.
“Harry is on good form – you need a moment of magic and he produced it.
“He gets the headlines, deservedly so for the moments of quality we know he can produce, but he still needs to work off the ball – he did do that – and he picked up nice positions where he could get the ball and turn.”
Swansea manager Graham Potter said: “Derby deserved to win, but I’m proud of the players in that they hung in there and made the last 20 minutes a bit of an interesting encounter.
“We have a young group so there is a bit of learning for everybody, myself included, but the character and the willingness not to give up was there again.”