Derby County suffered a 1-0 defeat to Bolton Wanderers in the Sky Bet Championship at the University of Bolton Stadium.

The Trotters found the lead after ten minutes when Craig Noone headed past Scott Carson. From there, the home team sat deep as the Rams tried to find a way back in.

The Rams, like they have done all season, held the lions-share of possession in the first-half but struggled to produce anything in the final third. They showed their attacking intent in the opening minutes by pressing high, but for the third straight game, Derby found themselves a goal behind early on.

The goal for Bolton almost came even earlier when a mistake in the back offered the ball up to Will Buckley as he intercepted a pass and just had Scott Carson in his way. The young centre-back, Fikayo Tomori, however quickly recovered and his pressure prevented the Trotters from taking the lead.

It was just two minutes later when Buckley was again in the midst of action to beat the offside trap and promptly crossed to Noone to the left who headed home.

Ten minutes later, Harry Wilson looked over the ball for a free-kick after Mason Mount was taken down from an almost identical spot to where he spectacularly scored in the midweek clash with Manchester United. But Wilson couldn’t produce the same magic and it hit the wall.

Derby’s chances began to build from there, but Bolton remained tight at the back. Despite great work in the midfield to build up play the Rams struggled to convert in the final third. Wilson lifted a cross into the area and it fell to Mason Bennett who struck off his first touch, but it couldn’t get past the bodies in the box.

With time running out in the first-half to produce an equaliser, David Nugent tried his luck from range, but his shot was too high.

Following the break, the Rams upped the tempo on the ball try and work their way around the Trotters who, with the cushion of a lead, sat deep to defend for much of the game. Craig Bryson, who has been a standout player in Frank Lampard’s high tempo style, showed his hustle and he chased down a loose ball in the box. He managed to slide to get the cross off, but Jack Hobbs was the first to the end of it to dismantle the threat.

Derby continued to press forward in their numbers and it almost paid off when David Wheater couldn’t fully clear and Jack Marrriott took advantage. However, the substitute's low effort glanced just wide.

Bolton had a couple of decent looks in the second half and both times, Tomori worked excellently to clear the danger. In the first occasion, Carson dived to palm away a close range shot from the left and the Chelsea loanee was there to make a long clearance. That made way for an opportunity by Mount down the other end. The midfielder struck from close range to the left of the area but Remi Mattews denied him.

With less than ten minutes to go, Tomori’s pressure denied Erhun Oztumer from getting off a shot after he was played the ball through nicely in the box.

The Rams were unable to find the equaliser and suffered their first defeat in three games.

UP NEXT…

The Rams return to Pride Park Stadium on Wednesday night, where they have been unbeaten in the last four games, when they host Norwich City. They will then travel to Loftus Road to face Queens Park Rangers next Saturday before the second international break.

Bolton Wanderers: Mattews; Olkowski, Wheater (C), Hobbs, Grounds; J. Williams, Lowe; Noone (O’Neil, 73), Oztumer (Vela, 85), Buckley; Magennis (Doidge, 74)

Unused Subs: B. Williams, Beevers, Donaldson, Wildschut

Derby County: Carson; Bogle, Keogh, Tomori, Forsyth; Bryson, Johnson; Bennett (Marriott, 56), Mount, Wilson (Waghorn, 77); Nugent (Lawrence, 56)

Unused Subs: Roos, Wisdom, Huddlestone, Malone