Carrow Road
International
Derby County were consigned to a 2-1 defeat on the road against Norwich City on Tuesday night.
Mohamed Touré had the chance to give the hosts an early lead from the penalty spot, but goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström got down low and denied the Canaries forward.
Touré did get his goal to see Norwich ahead after 30 minutes with a powerful effort from just inside the penalty area.
David Ozoh restored parity when he netted his second goal of the season against Norwich in the 54th minute – having scored the winning goal at Pride Park back in October.
The lead didn’t last long, however, as Liam Gibbs scored from the edge of the box six minutes later.
A direct pass forward caused trouble for Derby after four minutes; Kenny McLean made room for a give-and-go that sent Amankwah Forson through on goal, where he was felled by Derry Murkin to win Norwich a penalty kick.
Touré stepped up to take, but he was bettered by Zetterström, who made the save to keep the scoreline at 0-0.
The game took on a physical tone as Carlton Morris battled with defender Harry Darling, and Lewis Travis received a bloodied lip after fighting for the ball in the air.
Forson came near for Norwich in the 20th minute when a first-time left-footed attempt curled just over the crossbar.
Timely defending from Kellen Fisher averted a Derby counter-attack in the 24th minute; Morris held up the ball on the left flank and played a low ball to the back post, where Brereton Díaz was lurking before the Canaries defender steered the ball away from danger.
Norwich got ahead when a quick passing move found Touré in space to shoot from an angle inside the penalty area, and he hit hard and into the roof of the net.
McLean threatened from a free-kick minutes before the half-time break, but a smart low stop from Zetterström kept him out.
A Derby attack soon after looked promising after the Rams won the ball high up the field and had the Canaries’ defence scrambling backwards. Sam Szmodics went for goal as shot-stopper Vladan Kovačeviċ was off his line, but the power of the effort was miscalculated.
He broke through on goal again in added time of the first period, but he couldn’t find his footing as the ball flew wide.
Sondre Langås drifted into a good position from a deep free-kick five minutes into the second period - he headed towards goal but saw the ball caught.
Derby levelled proceedings as the hosts attempted to play out from the back after Kovačeviċ’s save, but were dispossessed by Joe Ward.
The full-back gave the ball to Ozoh, who converted a curling effort beyond the goalkeeper at the near post.
Norwich got back ahead when Gibbs took possession in space on the edge of the penalty area and tucked a tidy finish into the bottom corner.
Szmodics came near to providing an instant response for the Rams when he found himself running parallel with an onrushing goalkeeper in the first attack after conceding. He went to chip Kovačeviċ, but the stopper got a glove to the ball to see it wide.
Kovačeviċ came in clutch for Norwich in the 75th minute as the ball twice fell for a Derby striker on the edge of the penalty area, with both Lar-Jørgen Salvesen and Morris striking separate powerful efforts that the Canaries’ goalkeeper saved excellently.
A well-constructed move in the 84th minute forced a save
when Max Johnston took a first-time shot when Szmodics squared him the ball in space
on the edge of the box.
The game proceeded into eight minutes of added time, with Derby pushing for an equaliser.
A vital stop from Zetterström kept the Rams on the hunt after a counter-attack saw Errol Mundle-Smith break away.
Ward struck near as the Rams kept pushing, he forced a stop at the near post, and the resulting corner was headed onto the roof of the net by Salvesen. The host held out to take the points.
Derby County: Zetterström (GK), Murkin (Forsyth 68), Clarke, Langås, Morris, Ozoh (Fraulo 75), Szmodics, Ward, Brereton Díaz (Salvesen 68), Travis (C) (Eames 86), Banel (Johnston 68).
Unused Substitutes: Vickers (GK), Batth, I Gordon, Allen.
Norwich City: Kovačeviċ (GK), Stacey, Darling, Mattsson, Gibbs, Forson (Mundle-Smith 79), McLean (C), Maghoma (Slimane 79), Córdoba, Fisher, Touré (Kvistgaarden 62).
Unused Substitutes: Grimshaw (GK), Wright, Field, Schlupp, Baumann, Mediċ.
25,058 (including 1,171 Derby County supporters)
The Rams head on the road once more with a trip to the MATRADE Loftus Road to face Queens Park Rangers on Saturday 25th April, for their penultimate match of the season.
