‘A Draw Was Probably Fair’

Tom Huddlestone felt that a point apiece was a fair outcome as Derby County started the 2017/18 Sky Bet Championship season with a 1-1 draw at Sunderland on Friday night.

Bradley Johnson put Derby ahead early on at the Stadium of Light with a cool close-range finish, but the hosts hit back to equalise just before half-time from the penalty spot through Lewis Grabban.

Both sides had chances to win the game in the second half – with Richard Keogh having a header cleared off the line and Chris Martin shooting over when well-placed for the Rams after the interval.

Huddlestone, who re-joined Derby for a second spell at the club in the summer from Hull City, felt that on reflection a draw was the right result.

Naturally at this stage of the season, the 30-year-old feels there’s plenty more to come from the Rams.

“It was probably a fair result in the end,” he said afterwards.

“We have got a lot more in the tank, both with the ball and when we aren’t in possession.

“We can press a lot better than that and also play better than we showed.

“It was honours even to start the season and a draw was probably about right.”

Huddlestone admitted that Derby were indebted to some solid defending and fine goalkeeping from Scott Carson in the first half.

Sunderland pressed hard, especially early on and put the Rams under pressure, before Johnson scored against the run of play after Huddlestone sent Johnny Russell away down the right wing with a trademark cross-field pass.

From that point, the Academy graduate felt Derby could have capitalised on striking that early blow more.

He said: “We could have capitalised on taking the lead more, maybe, but Sunderland created a few chances in the first half and Scott Carson played well.

“We were perhaps lucky to go in at 1-1 at half-time.

“Our aim was to try and win the second half but it wasn’t to be, but we’ve got a point and we’ll go on from there.”