Hillsborough
Derby County returned to winning ways with a clinical 3-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on Monday evening.
A brace from Patrick Agyemang and Liam Thompson’s first-ever Sky Bet Championship goal gave John Eustace’s side all three points on a comfortable night in the Steel City.
American international Agyemang netted either side of half-time, while Academy graduate Thompson sandwiched his maiden Championship strike in-between as the Rams climbed into the top half of the table.
The opening exchanges were cagey and Rhian Brewster - restored to the starting line-up - fizzed a snap-shot across goal in the only effort of note inside the opening 20 minutes.
But Derby began to assert their authority as the first half progressed. Thompson’s driving run teed up Ben Brereton Diaz down the right, with the loanee’s cross destined to find Bobby Clark until Wednesday skipper Barry Bannan’s last ditch header averted the danger.
Then came the opening goal, as Agyemang netted his fourth of the campaign. Another smart intervention and first-time lay off from Thompson just inside the opposition half set Clark away, before the 20-year-old fed Agyemang, who knocked the ball past Dominic Iorfa and fired a low, left-footed drive past Pierce Charles into the bottom right corner.
Sustained pressure from the Rams almost brought a second before the break. First, Brereton Diaz struck a low effort at Charles, before Clark blazed over the bar from the edge of the 18-yard box just 60 seconds later.
The waves of attack continued right up until the half-time whistle, as Chile international Brereton Diaz again came close, this time curling wide of the left-hand post from the edge of the box.
Derby doubled their advantage shortly after the restart, as Thompson opened his account for the season with his first Championship goal.
A half-cleared Craig Forsyth free-kick fell to the Rams’ Academy graduate, who brought the ball down out of the Sheffield sky and picked out the far corner just before the hour mark.
It was 3-0 five minutes later, when Agyemang got his second of the night. The American striker blasted the ball high into the roof of the net from close range for his fifth goal in a Derby shirt following great work – and brute strength – from Brewster’s bursting run down the left side.
Such was the comfort of Jacob Widell Zetterstrom’s evening, his first save came in the 75th minute, standing firm to palm away a fierce strike from Owls midfielder Svante Ingelsson.
Substitutes Andi Weimann and Kayden Jackson both came close to adding a fourth late on for Derby, but the Rams left Hillsborough with three goals and three points, and a clean sheet, in a superb return to winning ways.
Sheffield Wednesday: Charles (GK), M Lowe (Chalobah 62), Fusire, Iorfa (Otegbayo 85), Ingelsson (Ugbo 85), J Lowe, Bannan (C), Amass (Alao 90+2), Cooper, McNeill, Cadamarteri (Brown 62).
Unused Substitutes: Horvath (GK), Palmer, Johnson, Thornton.
Derby County: Zetterström (GK), Forsyth, Clarke, Langås (C), Agyemang (Salvesen 88), Brewster (Weimann 66), Thompson, Ward, Brereton Díaz (Jackson 80), Sanderson, Clark (Adams 80).
Unused Substitutes: Vickers (GK), Blackett-Taylor, Elder, Nyambe, Nelson.
The Rams will be seeking successive Championship victories when they host Portsmouth at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off). 
