Pride Park Stadium
Derby County earned three points with a hard-fought 1-0 home win over Norwich City in the Sky Bet Championship on Tuesday night.
After a goalless 45 minutes at Pride Park Stadium, David Ozoh bagged his first goal of the campaign in the 55th minute with a curling effort into the top corner to hand Derby the lead.
Derby held on despite late Norwich pressure, whilst also having chances of their own to increase their lead, to claim their first home win and clean sheet of the campaign in the process.
The game also saw Norwegian centre-back Sondre Langås make his return from injury, coming on at half-time as the Rams made a tactical switch before getting ahead in the second period.
Norwich had the first goalmouth action of the game in the third minute when Liam Gibbs forced a save from Jacob Widell Zetterström at a tight angle, and then seconds later Oscar Schwartau struck the side netting from another acute angle.
Striker Carlton Morris was liveliest for Derby in the early stages, and some excellent hold-up play saw him win a free-kick on the left side of the penalty area after eight minutes, as Jack Stacey pulled him down.
The resulting set-piece was cleared, but a secondary delivery to the far post by Callum Elder nearly found the head of Dion Sanderson at the far post, but for a defensive header that cleared the ball.
A sharp attack, launched by Ozoh in the middle of the park, nearly bore fruit in the 23rd minute. He charged upfield and played the ball on to Patrick Agyemang, who looked to thread an onrushing Ben Brereton Díaz in behind, but defender Harry Darling intercepted before the attacker could go one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Sanderson put in a vital block to Pelle Mattsson’s effort for Norwich, as the Canaries’ short corner saw multiple chances thwarted by quick Derby defending in the 29th minute.
After a sustained bout of pressure Norwich, Derby broke away through Agyemang in the 42nd minute. The USA international found Ozoh, who threaded Morris in behind. The striker squared the ball into a busy penalty box and Brereton Díaz was there to steer towards goal, but his effort was blocked by Jakov Medic from close range.
The game went into the break goalless, with Norwich’s pressure and Derby’s counter-attacks being held off by both defences.
Head Coach John Eustace made one change at half-time, with Langås making his return to action for the Rams in defence, with Rhian Brewster making way.
Morris looked certain to score in the 53rd minute, but for an excellent save from Canaries goalkeeper Vladan Kovačević. Brereton Díaz gave the ball to Agyemang in the penalty area, faked a shot and found Morris, who forced the save.
Ozoh got the goal Derby craved moments later, though as, on the next attack, he received the ball in the box from Agyemang’s hard work on the left flank, and the midfielder curled it into the top right corner and beyond the goalkeeper’s reach.
Max Johnston’s cross nearly found Agyemang to steer in a second two minutes later, but the whipped ball just evaded the striker’s outstretched boot.
Agyemang came close once more in the 64th minute as he dived onto a chipped cross from Brereton Díaz and met the ball with a firm header that was well saved by Kovačević.
Schwartau proved to be Norwich’s big threat in the 68th minute when he bombed down the wing and played a ball across the box to Stacey, who found striker Josh Sargent in a shooting position, but the Norwich attacker was denied as Sanderson blocked strongly.
The visitors thought they had equalised in the 77th minute as substitute Ante Crnac fired against the post and saw his effort bounce agonisingly away from goal, with Sanderson forcing the loose ball behind for a corner.
Lars-Jørgen Salvesen, Kayden Jackson and Andi Weimann all entered the field to give fresh legs to the front-line with Derby looking to secure their lead in the 83rd minute. Agyemang, Morris and Brereton Díaz all made way.
Bobby Clark also joined the action in added time, replacing goalscorer Ozoh, with Derby seeing out the closing stages well to claim their first victory of the season on home turf.
Derby County: Zetterström (GK), Clarke, Agyemang (Jackson 86), Morris (Salvesen 86), Brewster (Langås 46), Ozoh, Elder, Johnston, Brereton Díaz (Weimann 86), Sanderson, Adams (C).
Unused Substitutes: Vickers (GK), Batth, Blackett-Taylor, Ward.
Norwich City: Kovačević (GK), Stacey, Medić, Darling, Mattsson, Gibbs (Jurásek 76), Sargent, Topić (Wright 61), McLean, Makama (Crnac 61), Schwartau (Marcondes 82).
Unused Substitutes: Grimshaw (GK), McConville, Schlupp, Fisher, Springett.
25,844 (1,312 Norwich City supporters)
Derby will be back at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday afternoon as they go head-to-head with Queens Park Rangers in the Sky Bet Championship. (3pm kick-off).
