Derby County will face National League side Torquay United in an FA Cup replay following a 2-2 draw on Sunday afternoon.
Will Osula gave the Rams a comfortable two goal cushion but a second-half fight back from the hosts following an Eiran Cashin red card ensured we will go to a replay at Pride Park.
The first chance of the game came for the Rams within the opening five minutes. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing got down the right and whipped a lovely ball across to Lewis Dobbin whose first time volley went inches above the crossbar.
Mendez-Laing again nearly became provider when his long-ball over the top looked to have set Osula through on goal but Tom Lapslie was quick off of his line to beat the 19-year-old to the ball.
The striker on loan from Sheffield United didn’t have to wait long before another chance came his way though and this time it found the back of the net. A neat interchange down the right between Mendez-Laing and Max Bird eventually saw the latter cross for Osula who got across his man and finished brilliantly at the front post.
Mendez-Laing was proving to be a constant threat down the wing and saw an effort fly just over the bar whilst Louie Sibley nearly bagged his second goal in as many games but fired just wide.
Dobbin should have made it more comfortable for the Rams going into the break but headed over from six-yards out following a pinpoint cross from James Collins.
Barely a minute played in the second-half and Derby had two to their name and so did Osula. A lovely outside of the boot pass from Bird sent him on his way down the line and the Danish striker took the ball in his stride before firing brilliantly past Lapslie.
The game turned on it’s head prior to the hour mark when the hosts were awarded a penalty and Cashin was shown a straight red card. Will Goodwin got in behind the defence, Cashin pulled the forward’s shirt and with no attempt to play the ball, the referee adjudged it worthy of both a spot-kick and a sending off. Asa Hall stepped up and slammed the penalty straight down the middle to half the deficit and make for an extremely nervy last 30 minutes from a Rams perspective.
Hall nearly levelled things five minutes later, too. Pinball ensued in the Derby box following a Torquay corner and the ball fell to Hall who skewed wide from 10-yards out.
The Rams were digging deep and were throwing their bodies at what had turned into a bit of a Torquay onslaught. Bird had to be at full stretch to head clear and deny Dillon Da Silva what would have been a tap in at the back post and Korey Smith flung himself at a Hall effort that looked destined for the bottom corner.
Up the other end and Paul Warne’s men were showing they were still very much a threat on the break when Dobbin forced Lapslie into a fingertip save as we entered the final 10.
With four minutes additional time signalled, it looked as though the Rams had done enough to progress but a goal with the very last kick of the game from Goodwin earned the Gulls a replay at Pride Park.
Torquay United: Lapslie (GK), Hall (C), Jarvis, Wearne, Donnellan, Goodwin, Moxey (34’ Crowe), Ness, Da Silva, Ellis
Substitutes not used: Omar, Hanson, Lovett, Tomlinson, Thompson, McGavin
Derby County: Wildsmith (GK), Forsyth, Cashin, Bird (C), Collins, Mendez-Laing (58’ Stearman), Smith, Roberts, Sibley (51’ Hourihane), Dobbin, Osula (77’ Thompson)
Substitutes not used: Loach (GK), Oduroh, Rooney, Aghatise
It’s more cup action for the Rams on Wednesday when they travel to Anfield to take on Premier League side Liverpool in the Carabao Cup (8pm kick-off).
