Pride Park Stadium
Derby County had to settle for a point against Charlton Athletic at Pride Park Stadium after they came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw for the second game in a row on Tuesday night.
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James Bree broke the deadlock in the 36th minute with an unstoppable half-volley from close range to put Charlton ahead.
Matt Clarke brought the Rams back level with a headed goal in the 79th minute - his third in a Derby shirt and first of the campaign.
Late chances for both sides came and went as the spoils were shared under the floodlights.
Head Coach John Eustace has made two changes to the side that earned a point away to Wrexham with a 1-1 draw on Saturday, as Bobby Clark and Callum Elder both came into the starting line-up in place of Andi Weimann and Craig Forsyth.
Ben Brereton Díaz was in the thick of it early on for Derby, twice finding spaces out on the left flank to worry Charlton. A well-played through ball saw the Chilean find room for a low cross that was begging for Clark to pounce in the box, but for a timely interception by Amari’i Bell.
Max Johnston looked to provide the chance for Patrick Agyemang in the tenth minute when the Scottish full-back played a dangerous cross to the far post. The striker stretched but couldn’t get a clean connection on the ball and goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski was able to collect.
Johnston went for the target himself ten minutes later, after an intelligent pass from Carlton Morris found the full-back marauding down the wing in space. He unleashed a shot that was blocked by Bell.
Morris looked to go near himself after a fast move down the left saw Elder deliver an enticing cross which the Derby forward attacked, but his header was thwarted as he was placed off balance by Charlton defender Lloyd Jones, who saw the ball away from danger.
Charlie Kelman had the visitors' first effort on target in the 25th minute, when a Derby attack was quickly turned over and Greg Docherty slotted the attacker into a shooting position outside the box, but Rams goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström caught the ball out of the air.
Charlton went ahead in the 36th minute with a well-constructed team goal as Docherty played a waist-high pass to Bree, who hit a ripping strike across goal that gave Zetterström no chance to save.
Derby held a sustained period of possession and pressure in the final minutes of the half. The Rams looked to create from the flanks with Johnston and Brereton Díaz peppering the box with crosses, but the Addicks’ defence stayed firm and the ball didn’t drop for Derby.
Derby made a single change at half-time with David Ozoh coming onto the pitch in place of Ebou Adams in the centre of the park.
However, it was Charlton who had the first chance of the second period as Kelman forced Zetterström into action in the 48th minute, with the striker flashing a shot that stung the palms of the Swedish stopper.
Ozoh looked to inject purpose into the Derby attack from midfield as he carried the ball into the box and played a low ball across goal that was begging to be attacked in the 50th minute, but it was blocked away.
The move continued to develop as Morris was found with a cross to the far post, but he lost his footing and couldn’t get a shot off.
Minutes later, Brereton Díaz tried for a repeat of his goal at Wrexham on Saturday when he cut inside onto his right foot and went beyond the defenders. This time, his effort didn’t have enough bend on it, and it evaded the target.
After the quick start to the second half from Derby, Charlton made changes and sought to frustrate the flow of the match.
Derby kept pushing forward and Agyemang broke loose with a run in behind in the 67th minute. His shot towards goal earned the Rams a corner as it was blocked wide and the resulting kick brought a chance as it spun onto the head of Clarke and just over the bar.
Eustace brought Joe Ward and Andi Weimann onto the field, with Johnston and Brereton Díaz replaced, as the Rams continued to look for a leveller.
Clark had a great chance to level after Travis’ slide-rule pass played him one-on-one with the goalkeeper in the 77th minute, but he saw his shot saved excellently by Kaminski.
Moments later, thought, Derby’s pressure told as Clarke evened the scoring as he got his head to Travis’ clipped cross into a packed penalty area and directed the ball low into the bottom corner.
Kayden Jackson and Lars-Jørgen Salvesen entered the field within minutes of each other as Derby looked to push for a winner in the late stages of the match.
The Rams piled on more pressure in added time, as Morris found space to head at the far post but saw it cleared away.
Docherty came close at the other end of the pitch when the visitors had a rare attack late on by bending the ball wide of the post, while Salvesen went down the other end for Derby and charged towards goal before unleashing a shot from a tight angle and forced a save from Kaminski.
In the end, though, the two sides had to settle for a point apiece under the Pride Park floodlights.
Derby County: Zetterström (GK), Clarke, Agyemang (Salvesen 87), Morris, Elder, Johnston (Ward 69), Brereton Díaz (Weimann 69), Travis (C), Sanderson, Adams (Ozoh 46), Clark (Jackson 84).
Substitutes Not Used: Vickers (GK), Forsyth, Batth, Nyambe.
Charlton Athletic: Kaminski (GK), Ramsay, Gillesphey, Jones, Coventry, Campbell (Olaofe 76), Docherty (C), Carey (Knibbs 57), Bell, Kelman (Leaburn 57), Bree (Burke 57).
Substitutes Not Used: Maynard-Brewer (GK), Berry, Anderson, Rankin-Costello, Apter.
25,966 (1,093 Charlton Athletic supporters).
The Rams play their second of back-to-back home matches this week when they welcome Southampton to Pride Park Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
