Match Report: Derby County 1-1 Portsmouth

Derby County were held to a 1-1 draw by Portsmouth in their final home game of the season.

Colby Bishop put the visitors in front in the first-half before substitute James Collins found a second-half equaliser for the Rams.

The result means the Rams' play-off fate will come down to the last game of the season away at Sheffield Wednesday.

Major Moments

Buoyed by the huge home support, the Rams started well and were inches away from taking the lead within the opening five minutes.

Top scorer David McGoldrick picked the ball up and drove into space before bending a brilliant effort onto the post and behind.

The chances kept coming in the early stages and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing squandered an excellent effort to put the Rams in front. McGoldrick was again involved this time as provider and he played the ball out wide to Mendez-Laing who fired agonisingly wide from 12-yards out.

Portsmouth were struggling to get a foothold in the game and needed a goal-line clearance to stop them from going behind following a teasing cross from Mendez-Laing.

McGoldrick was causing all sorts of problems and Matt Macey had to be at full-stretch to tip yet another effort round the post for a corner.

Totally against the run of play, the visitors took the lead with their first chance of the game.

Joe Morrell was afforded too much time to cross on the edge of the box and he found Colby Bishop unmarked in the centre who headed beyond Joe Wildsmith.

Pompey naturally grew into the game following the opener and Wildsmith did well to get down and deny Bishop a second when his effort deflected awkwardly from the edge of the area.

The Rams number one had to be at his very best to ensure it was just 1-0 at the break with two fantastic saves.

First, he denied Joe Pigott with a big hand down low before he then made himself big to stop a Connor Ogilvie header from the corner that followed.

Derby knew they'd likely have to find a goal in the second-half and after a slow start Paul Warne opted for a triple substitution with Tom Barkhuizen, James Collins and Lewis Dobbin all being introduced.

And it was one of those substitutes Collins that got the scores back on level terms with 20 minutes to go.

Hourihane's free-kick was headed on by Davies and the Rams' number nine swivelled on it and finished brilliantly into the bottom corner.

Pride Park had come alive following the equaliser and Collins nearly had his and Derby's second soon after when he headed a Hourihane corner just over.

The Rams were inches away from taking the lead when Haydon Roberts' cross was deflected straight across the face of goal and somehow didn't find it's way across the line.

Six minutes of additional time were signalled for Paul Warne's men to find a winner but it wasn't to be.

It means the fate of the play-offs will now come down to the final day of the season.

Attendance: 31,744 (3,120 Portsmouth supporters)

The Teams

Derby County: Wildsmith (GK), Forsyth (63' Collins), Hourihane (82' White), Cashin, Bird (76' Smith), McGoldrick, Mendez-Laing (63' Barkhuizen), Roberts, Sibley (63' Dobbin), Davies (C), Knight

Substitutes not used: McGee (GK), Rooney

Portsmouth: Macey (GK), Oglivie, Pack (C), Bishop, Pigott (84' Raggett), Morrell, Rafferty, Jacobs (70' Dale), Bernard, Lane, Towler (84' Robertson)

Substitutes not used: Oluwayemi (GK), Scarlett, Thompson, Lowery

What's Next Up?

The Rams return to action for the final time of the regular 2022/23 season when they make the short trip to Yorkshire to take on Sheffield Wednesday next Sunday (12pm kick-off).