Craig Bryson secured a point for the Rams with a late equaliser against Norwich City in the Sky Bet Championship.
As in recent years, the match-up between the Rams and the Canaries was a close affair but it took until the 86th minute for Derby to cancel out the second-half goal by Timm Klose.
There were multiple chances from both sides, who have enjoyed good starts to their respective seasons, in the opening half. It was Norwich that struck first however, before Bryson latched on to a cross by substitute Martyn Waghorn to earn a point.
The Rams opened the game playing with urgency as they looked to return to their winning ways. Within ten minutes, the Rams had had a shot on target and a good team build up to as they looked to create another chance. Scott Carson lobbed a great long ball down the field and the ever-energetic David Nugent chased it down on the right flank. The forward struck on his first touch, but Tim Kul did well to deny him.
Moments later, Derby gave a hint of just how frustrating for the opposition they can be in possession as they quickly passed the ball between them on the edge of the box. It was Harry Wilson who burst in to the area and was taken down, however shouts for a penalty were brushed off by the referee.
The Canaries first shot on target came just after the ten-minute mark as Christoph Zimmermann rose highest in the box to direct his header from a corner directly in to Carson’s safe hands.
Derby kept plugging away looking for the opening goal as Mason Mount whipped in a cross from the left but Nugent couldn’t quite get to the end of it in front of the goal.
It didn’t take long though for Norwich to show some of the flare that has helped them climb the table in recent weeks, but last second denials by the Rams’ centre-backs combined with saves from the ‘keeper kept the score level in a frantic couple of minutes. Richard Keogh worked well to head out a free-kick that was swung in to the box before Fikayo Tomori cleared a shot from the resulting corner. It was then Carson who was called into action as Jamal Lewis powered a shot from inside the box, but the Rams No. 1 met it.
After half an hour, Mount almost created some more of the magic he has already shown this season as he danced his way around four yellow shirts in the box and managed to turn to get off an off balance shot that Krul got down to meet at the bottom right corner.
With minutes to go in a fairly even first-half, Carson made a big save to keep the score level when he read Todd Cantwell’s shot well after the Norwich man broke free in the area.
After dealing with and holding off pressure from the Canaries deep in their half on multiple occasions in the first minutes after the break, the Rams mounted their attack down the other end, ignited by Wilson being taken down on the left sideline by Lewis. Mount fired the free-kick in to the area and it fell back out to Wilson after bouncing around the box.
Wilson struck but it took a deflection straight to Jayden Bogle who chipped it into the box to Nugent, but it was too crowded for him to connect cleanly.
Norwich came close to opening the scoring when Teemu Pukki, who has been a standout player for Norwich so far this season, was played the ball through and it was up to Keogh to chase him down in the box. The Rams captain was hot on his heels and forced the forward to go out wide and left him unable to get a decent look at the goal.
However, minutes later and the Canaries got their goal. Timm Klose headed in from the far corner off the Norwich corner.
With the Rams desperate to find the answer, Mount whipped in a free-kick from the left of the box but Krul forced his way through to punch it away and out of danger.
The equaliser came from Bryson with four minutes left to play and moments after he had found Mount in the box whose effort was tipped over by Krul. This time, Bryson was on the receiving end of a fine cross by Martyn Waghorn that found the midfielder right in front of goal and his first touch went straight past the Norwich ‘keeper to secure a point.
Scott Malone has had to be patient and find ways to prove himself in training to get back in to the starting line-up as Craig Forsyth has made the left-back position his own in recent weeks.
However, against Norwich Malone put in spectacular case to hold to position. He didn't miss a beat in his first start since before the first international break as he took control of the left flank both defensively and offensively. He whipped in a couple of dangerous crosses in his full 90 minutes back showing how much of a threat he can be on either end.
The Rams have one more stop before the second international break at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
Derby will head to the London outfit looking to seal three points before a fortnight off from Sky Bet Championship action.
Derby County: Carson; Bogle, Keogh (C), Tomori, Malone; Bryson, Johnson; Bennett (Lawrence, 60), Mount, Wilson (Waghorn, 71); Nugent (Marriott, 65)
Unused Subs: Forsyth, Pearce, Roos, Huddlestone
Norwich City: Krul; Aarons, Klose, Zimmermann, Lewis; Leitner, Tettey (C); Buendia (Thompson, 85), Stiepermann (Vrancic, 82), Cantwell (Rhodes, 90); Pukki
Unused Subs: McGovern, Godfrey, Trybull, Srbeny,
