SToK Cae Ras
Derby County came from behind to secure a point on the road in the Sky Bet Championship with a 1-1 draw at Wrexham on Saturday afternoon.
The first 45 minutes saw the two sides battling to take the lead, but both defences held firm and neither team could break the deadlock.
Lewis O’Brien headed Wrexham in front a minute before an hour of play, minutes after Max Johnston and Carlton Morris had both gone close for the Rams.
However, a superb curving strike from Ben Brereton Díaz levelled the scoring with just under 20 minutes left- his first goal for the club since joining on loan from Southampton last month - to earn a share of the spoils.
Striker Patrick Agyemang had his first sight of goal in the opening seconds of the match for Derby when the ball dropped to him in space on the edge of the penalty area, but his effort was off target.
Ben Sheaf had the hosts' first opportunity of the match in the 12th minute as the midfielder found space to arrow a strike straight towards Jacob Widell Zetterström, who caught the ball well.
Dion Sanderson put in an important block in the 16th minute after Issa Kabore’s cross into the box looked to find the head of Wrexham striker Kieffer Moore at close range, with the Rams defender doing well to make a well-timed, athletic interception.
The Rams looked to engineer chances as they had possession for a prolonged spell on the half-hour mark.
Craig Forsyth’s corner delivery and a subsequent Brereton Díaz cross were both well cleared by the Red Dragons’ defence, despite looking dangerous.
Tidy footwork from Agyemang tried to force a chance as he dribbled into the box towards the end of the half, but good pressing saw the attacker thwarted as he attempted to play the ball to Carlton Morris inside the box.
The game went into the break goalless, with both sides threatening but neither taking a clear-cut opportunity.
Josh Windass forced Zetterström into action in the 55th minute when he had a pot-shot from distance, and the Swedish shot-stopper got down low and parried it wide.
Windass was involved again moments later as a good delivery from deep found Rams defender Max Johnston at the far post and he clattered the ball against the post of his own goal.
Then a quick Derby attack down the other end seconds later saw Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo in action as Morris’ cross found Johnston, who headed towards goal to force a stretching save. Morris nearly scored from close-range seconds later from Agyemang's low cross in the next phase of play, but for a strong block by the home goalkeeper to deny the striker's stretching effort.
The hosts got in front after 59 minutes when O’Brien met Kabore’s cross from deep and steered the ball into the net with a firm header.
Head Coach John Eustace made the first changes of the match as Bobby Clark and David Ozoh entered the field in the 63rd minute, with Ebou Adams and Andi Weimann being replaced.
Clark was immediately involved as he linked up well with
Agyemang down the right flank to force a corner for Derby - but the resulting dead-ball was cleared by
the opposition.
The Rams equalised in the 72nd minute when a flick on from
Agyemang went to the feet of Brereton Díaz. The Chilean international shimmied past
his defender and unleashed a curling effort that flew into the top corner from
23 yards.
Moments after the goal, Rams forward Kayden Jackson came on to face his former
club, with Agyemang making way.
The hosts put Derby under sustained pressure in the closing
ten minutes of the match, with Craig Forsyth and
Sanderson making vital moves to keep the game tied.
The game went into six minutes of added time, with both teams pushing for a winner.
Clark fired high and wide after a good Derby move in the 95th minute of the match, as Morris nodded the ball down to the substitute to hit, but he couldn’t convert the chance as the two sides settled for a point apiece.
Wrexham: Okonkwo (GK), Brunt, Cleworth, Hyam, Windass (C) (Barnett 81), Kabore (Broadhead 81), Dobson, Sheaf (James 73), Moore (Smith 90+2), O’Brien, Longman.
Substitutes: Burton (GK), Doyle, McClean, Thomason, Scarr.
Derby County: Zetterström (GK), Forsyth, Clarke, Agyemang (Jackson 73), Morris, Weimann (Clark 63), Johnston, Brereton Díaz, Travis (C), Sanderson, Adams (Ozoh 63).
Substitutes: Vickers (GK), Batth, Salvesen, Elder, Ward, Nyambe.
10,613 (1,285 Derby County supporters)
The Rams look ahead to back-to-back home games in the Sky Bet Championship next week as Eustace’s side host Charlton Athletic on Tuesday night (8pm kick-off) and Southampton next Saturday (3pm kick-off).
