Fri 22 May - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 5mins
Following the conclusion of the 2025/26 season earlier this month, dcfc.co.uk looks back on Derby County’s campaign.
Part Three of the season review takes in November and December. John Eustace’s side entered the month of November after two wins at Pride Park Stadium against Norwich City and then Queens Park Rangers, to close out October – covered in Part Two of the review - the Rams looked to carry on their momentum when they headed out on the road.
Bramall Lane was the site of the first match of the month. And it was to be a barnstormer for the travelling Rams faithful.
A ruthless Carlton Morris bagged his first career hat-trick. He headed in a Joe Ward corner after 24 minutes to take the lead, before a shock breakaway goal straight from the second half kick-off was backed up by a penalty on the hour mark in South Yorkshire.
A late consolation strike from Callum O’Hare did little to quash the mood as Derby flew to a third straight league win.
The hat-trick hero, Morris, spoke of a game that was sure to stick in the memory for a long time. He said: “Getting to score the second and third goals in front of the travelling fans (in the away end) was just so perfect behind the goal.
“The Derby fans were class, and this is a memory I'll carry with me for the rest of my career.”
The striker’s scintillating form continued with a return to Pride Park for a Tuesday night clash with Hull City. Morris once again blasted Derby into the lead as he towered above the Tigers' defence to head into the back of the net after 27 minutes.
It was to be fellow striker Lars-Jørgen Salvesen who could claim to be the hero of this contest, however. Joel Ndala had evened up proceedings in the 50th minute, and the game remained at a stand-off under the floodlights for nearly half an hour, with both sides cancelling each other out.
Arise, Salvesen and Andi Weimann. An 83rd-minute roll of the dice from Eustace saw the forward duo introduced to the field.
The definition of ‘instant impact’ was provided. Weimann’s pressing from the front forced goalkeeper Ivor Pandur into a swift clearance as he rushed from his goal line – the ball was cleared into the path of Salvesen, who struck into a vast goal net from 25 yards before wheeling away to seal a fourth league win on the spin.
The second international break of the season soon beckoned, but not before a trip to Ewood Park, where once again Morris saw his name etched onto the scoresheet, this time meeting Callum Elder’s inswinging corner ball.
Patrick Agyemang scored his second goal of the season as he rose high to bury Blackburn Rovers and seal three points for the fifth game in a row, winning 2-1.
David Ozoh was, however, sidelined with a thigh issue sustained after ten minutes in Lancashire.
The international fixture period saw Sondre Langås and the Norway squad secure their qualification for the nation’s first World Cup Finals since 1998, and Jacob Widell Zetterström made his first senior competitive appearance between the sticks for Sweden. Callum Elder (Australia), Ben Brereton Díaz (Chile) and Ebou Adams (The Gambia) were also out with their nations.
A 3-2 home defeat to Watford saw Dion Sanderson and Langås on the scoresheet, with Joe Ward also registering his fourth consecutive assist in as many games, but a second-half turnaround saw the Hornets claim the points.
Another casualty of that result was Morris, who, after elevating himself to leading goalscorer in the Sky Bet Championship, saw his season cruelly curtailed, as an off-the-ball collision saw an awkward landing and a knee injury that would keep him out of action for three months.
Fellow strikers Salvesen and Agyemang had to step up following this news. Salvesen netted again, as a 2-1 win on the road was kicked off by Joe Ward in the 34th minute, before the Norwegian’s tidily taken strike on the edge of the box defeated Swansea City.
The win in Wales saw Eustace’s side rise to eighth spot in the Championship, their highest position since the opening day.
Defeats at Middlesbrough and at home to Leicester City had Agyemang and Langås scoring in as November changed into December.
The final month of 2025 had Derby playing six matches, with three 1-1 draws registered, firstly at home to Millwall and then, after a 3-0 triumph away to Sheffield Wednesday, back-to-back points against Portsmouth and Birmingham City.
Agyemang’s brace against Wednesday saw him grasping at the expectation of being the Rams’ talisman in the wake of Morris’ absence, while Academy graduate Liam Thompson scored his first second-tier goal for the club during a rampant display.
The year ended with a point in Birmingham on Boxing Day as Agyemang dialled in his seventh strike of the season, assisted by Rhian Brewster.
A 3-1 loss to Leicester City still indicated a further positive for Derby as Brewster’s impact stretched to a second match with a goal at the King Power Stadium – again a vital requirement in the absence of Morris.
Missing from the Boxing Day clash was Birmingham City loanee defender Dion Sanderson, whom the Rams secured on a permanent deal on New Year’s Eve – finishing the calendar year with a signing indicative of the growth and camaraderie instilled within John Eustace’s side – hoping 2026 will be the chance for that progress to flourish...
