Derby County again loses to a club at the bottom of the league.
The Rams looked tired, disorganized and a shadow of the team which was once in the second automatic promotion place just a few weeks ago as they were defeated 3-1 at Burton Albion.
Derby County were looking to bounce back after a midweek defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers but came up against a Burton Albion side that hasn’t conceded defeat and relegation to league one just yet.
The Rams were behind after just twenty-four minutes, Liam Boyce stabbing home the ball close in after a cross from the right wasn’t dealt with by six Derby players in the penalty area and was played back across the eighteen-yard box, again not dealt with by the ineffective Rams defenders.
Nugent scores, the only bit of joy for the Rams all afternoon
Joy for Burton was short lived however as Derby managed to compose themselves and in the twenty-ninth minute A pin-point cross from Tom Lawrence on the left was met with a header by striker David Nugent to bring the teams level.
With half-time approaching the game then went away from the Rams, as Burton pressed and Luke Murphy scored a very good individual goal, helped in no small part by the lack of any challenge by a Derby County player in the penalty area. Murphy received the ball just outside the area and as Rams defenders continued to back off, he jinked his way to a shooting position and curled a beautiful ball around Joe Ledley and the diving Scott Carson.
The second half was similar to the first with the Rams having plenty of possession but lacking the will or ability to create many chances. The third goal for Burton was by this time inevitable and ineffectual defending again played a part. A cross into Derby’s penalty area was met by two unmarked Burton players. A scuffed shot towards goal was saved by Carson but the ball came out to an unchallenged Lukas Atkin to slot the ball into the net. Sixty-eight minutes and the Rams heads were down again, the lack of leadership, energy, pace and ideas condemning them to back to back defeats, their first of the season and a defeat that now placed the Rams out of the top six play-off places.
What has gone wrong with Derby County? As yet again their season seems to have gone so terribly wrong at the final stages. They now face a tough challenge to try and rescue what looked for so long like a promotion season.
