The Rams needed to stop the rot and reverse their recent form while their guests were looking to make it four consecutive wins. Wanderers winning run came to an end but once again The Rams failed to put the ball in the back of the net.
In what was a bad start before the match had even started, Will Hughes was out of the squad with an injury. Steve McClaren made changes to the starting line-up from Saturdays defeat as he sent Sammon and Bamford to the bench with Martin, Ward and Eustace back in the eleven.
The other change was Jake Buxton had shaved off his beard, one could assume that the family of birds who had nested in what was fast becoming bushland had moved out, leaving Bucko with no need for it anymore.
The Rams bounced out of the blocks and were lively without great effect, that was until just after the quarter hour, when Chris Martin fired a shot on target that Wanderers keeper Bogdan managed to keep out.
Having returned from an unjust suspension, Martin looked intent on scoring and when he latched onto a great Hendrick cross from the right, it was Bogdan again and the off-side flag that denied him a goal.
Bolton were not without attacking intent and when Davies broke away from the Rams defence his poor delivery saved some blushes. Moritz then shot well from nearly 20 yards but Lee Grant made a great save to keep scores level.
After the half hour mark it was all Derby as Ward, Dawkins, Bryson and Hendrick were running Bolton ragged. In particular a some neat interplay from Dawkins and Ward came close to ending in a goal on 37 minutes as Ward’s rocket of a strike had Bogdan beaten but unfortunately only just whizzed past the far post.
Danns tried to stem the momentum for Bolton but after an attacking run that split the Rams, he let himself down with a poor shot that went high.
Andre Wisdom was showing more of the run and attacking play missing from the Rams in recent weeks and his returning form nearly resulted in a goal when he shot only to see his low strike fade off target.
HT: 0 — 0
Derby started the second as they finished the first and Dawkins was once again in the thick of it, he linked up with Bryson to set up the Scot for a shot that required Bogdan to produce a good save just after the 50th minute.
Bolton were defending deep and looked like they had decided to try to save the point and maybe catch The Rams on the break. The plan nearly worked when in the 63rd minute Trotter set up Jutkiewicz in good position, only for the striker to send a weak shot in that never troubled Grant.
Craig Forsyth had been lively all day but his balls into the box after probing runs had been poor for most of the match... does anyone know if Lee Naylor can cross a ball?
Craig's misfiring radar may have led him to go it alone when he let fly with a 25 yard screamer that unfortunately kept rising over the bar. At least by shooting off target, he wasn't the only one wide of the mark in that department.
The game began to go stale as it seemed it would once again not be The Rams day in front of goal. Bolton were still trying to steal a winner when Danns tried his luck from distance but Grant managed to keep out the 20 yard strike.
Substitutes Sammon and Russell brought some much needed spark to the fading Rams and were probably introduced 10 minutes too late as time was fast becoming the issue.
Russell was like a dog let free from his chain as he burst into the action with a cross that met Sammon’s head but unfortunately not the back of the net.
Russell himself went close when he headed over while at the other end Jutkiewicz kept Grant on his toes but The Rams keeper once again had the better of the duel.
In stoppage time the biggest chance of the match fell to The Rams as Bryson cleverly back heeled to Sammon who, with the goal at his mercy, only had to pick a spot the keeper was not standing in. Unfortunately he picked the only spot Bogdan was standing in and fluffed a chance you could only describe as ‘bread and butter’ for a striker.
FT: 0 - 0
63% of possession, 18 shots to 8, 10 corners to 3 and 0 goals in 3 matches.
The stats tell the story.
Once again The Rams dominate the play but the quality of the final ball and shots on goal is missing.
Only one goal in the first 45 minutes of a match in 2014 is a major concern and McClaren will be pulling his (remaining) hair out trying to rectify the situation.
You can’t fault the players efforts but considering the opportunities they create, it is mind boggling we don’t even seem to be getting that little bit of luck required for one to just sneak in.
Sammon should have scored to win at the death but to single him out, when his team mates managed to foil their own good work often more than not for 90 minutes before that, seems a little harsh and shows the frustration of Derby fans now starved of goals after the veritable feast that came before.
A point is better than a loss, so that goes in the positive column after stopping the run of two consecutive losses. Another positive is QPR lost at Brighton and Forest drew at Boro. So it seems the Rams are not the only ones struggling to excel as the season steams towards the play-offs.
Early in the season it seemed as if everything worked in front of goal, now it seems like nothing is working in the final third. Let’s hope things balance out soon, if soon could come on Saturday at Reading, that would be a good place to start!
RamZone reporter Ryan Weston was at the iPro Tuesday night, so check back in the coming days for his as always entertaining match report, player ratings, reaction and more.
"It was one of those nights where it just wouldn’t go in for us but I cannot fault the performance. In previous weeks we have won games late on but we couldn’t manage it on this occasion; that’s the way it goes in football.”
"We played very well and the players produced an excellent display. They showed a very good reaction to the losses to Burnley and Millwall and that’s pleasing. We created enough chances to win the game but things just aren’t falling for us at the moment.”
"There’s no doubt we have the players to score goals and things will turn for us sooner rather than later. We’re in a really good position as we approach the last few weeks of the season and there are plenty of points to play for.”
"There’s a long, long way to go and this is where we wanted to be; fighting for promotion in the top six at this stage.”
Possession: 63% / 37%
Corners: 10 / 3
Shots (On Target): 18 (6) / 8 (4)
Fouls: 6 / 16
Referee: Graham Scott
Attendance: 23,435
Derby County: Grant (GK); Wisdom, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth; Eustace (Bamford 74'), Hendrick, Bryson; Ward (Sammon 79'), Dawkins (Russell 82’), Martin.
Unused Subs: , Legzdins, Naylor, Whitbread, Thorne
Bolton: Bogdan (GK), Hutton, Knight, Ream, Baptiste, Medo, Spearing, Danns, Davies (Lee 65') , Moritz (Trotter 53’), Jutkiewicz (Wheater 90').
Unused Subs: Lee-Barrett, Hall, Vela, Mason.
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