MATCH REPORT: Norwich City 1-1 Derby County

Derby County secured a dramatic annd crucial 1-1 draw at Norwich City to get a point on the board in a close-fought contest at Carrow Road in the Sky Bet Championship on Saturday afternoon.

Both teams saw the ball in the back of the net ten minutes into the first half as Lars-Jørgen Salvesen netted for Derby and Lewis Dobbin finished for the Canaries - but both goals were disallowed as the strikers were judged to be in offside positions at both ends of the pitch.

Josh Sargent gave the hosts the advantage in the 68th minute after a tight and competitive game to break the deadlock

However, Derby's spirit saw them remain in the game and substitute Jerry Yates’ penalty in added time clinched a hard-earned point on the road.

Key Moments

First Team Coach Matt Hamshaw took interim charge of the Rams, following the departure of Head Coach Paul Warne on Friday and new signing Sondre Langås made his debut against the Canaries with Liam Thompson, Nat Phillips and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing coming into the side.

Salvesen looked to have scored in the tenth minute as he tidily finished off Ben Osborn’s low cross into the box after a swift attack down the left. The striker was deemed to be offside though and the assistant referee’s flag was raised to deny the Rams a goal.

Moments later former Derby loanee Lewis Dobbin also put the ball into the back of the net and looked to give Norwich the advantage, only for the hosts to suffer the same fate as Derby and the game remained goalless.

David Ozoh’s powerful surge forward in the 23rd minute resulted in his low cross being narrowly cleared when he fizzed the ball across the face of the goal after holding off two defenders and finding space in the left wing.

Phillips put in a crucial block to quash a quick turnover by the hosts in the 33rd minute after Sargent was nearly threaded behind the defence with a chance on goal. The Derby centre-back read the pass well to see the ball cleared from danger.

Derby claimed some significant control of the game towards the end of the half as Ozoh, Osborn and Mendez-Laing all looked to create opportunities - but they came up against stubborn defending that didn’t allow for a clear-cut chance.

The Rams started the second half brightly, with Mendez-Laing looking to square the ball back to Salvesen on the edge of the penalty area, but the striker attempted to be too clever and let the ball run onto Osborn, but the ball went short and the chance was curtailed.

A free-kick delivery from Norwich’s Kenny McLean and header back across the box from Shane Duffy looked likely to threaten Jacob Widell Zetterström’s goal but it was squeezed out for a corner by a Derby defender.

Hamshaw made Derby’s first change of the game on the hour mark, with both teams looking competitive and making changes with the game still goalless as Yates came on place of Salvesen.

Sargent forced an explosive stop from Zetterström as the striker hit a stinging effort from outside of the box, before meeting the rebound and sending the ball just wide.

New arrival Harrison Armstrong and Callum Elder were Derby’s next changes in the 66th minute - with Armstrong making his debut for the club after signing on loan from Everton earlier in the week.

Yates had an effort on goal from a narrow angle in the 68th minute as he drilled a low shot towards goal from the left flank, but Angus Gunn in the Canaries net was equal to it.

Sargent got the opener for Norwich seconds later as he finished emphatically after a one-two pass with Emiliano Marcondes saw him played in on goal.

Kayden Jackson and Marcus Harness entered the field as the Rams’ final two substitutions in the 76th minute. Harness looked to have an immediate effect as he shot from the edge of the penalty area but the chance was blunted as it struck a Norwich body and carried on towards Gunn in goal, who could collect easily.

Harness won a penalty for Derby late on, as he took the ball into the box and was judged to be fouled by Jack Stacey as he struck him with a high boot. Yates stepped up to take and struck down the middle to level the game in added time.

Despite both teams pushing for a late winner, the game ended all-square and Derby ended their seven-game losing run in the Championship with a deserved point.

The Teams

Norwich City: Gunn (GK), Duffy, Doyle, Sargent, Marcondes (Wright 85), Crnac (Schwartau 76), Dobbin, McLean (C), Núñez (Slimane 60), Fisher (Stacey 60), Mahovo (Chrisene 85).

On The Bench: Long (GK), Jurásek, McConville, Córdoba.

Derby County: Zetterström (GK), Phillips, Langås, Clarke, Adams, Ozoh (Jackson 76), Osborn (Elder 66), Thompson, Mendez-Laing (C) (Armstrong 66), Goudmijn (Harness 76), Salvesen (Yates 60).

On The Bench: Vickers (GK), Forsyth, Nyambe, Barkhuizen, Harness.

Referee: Ruebyn Ricardo

Assistant Referees: Alex James, Mark Dwyer

Fourth Official: Andy Davies