Ebou Adams of Derby County is put under pressure by Connor Roberts of Burnley.
Ebou Adams of Derby County is put under pressure by Connor Roberts of Burnley.
Derby County produced a terrific battling performance to secure a point at promotion-chasing Burnley who were booed off at full-time. After losing 2-0 at Leeds at the weekend, Paul Warne named a 3-5-2 system and the changes seemed to suit Derby who enjoyed a decent start at Turf Moor.
A smart move involving Nat Phillips and Dajaune Brown saw Joe Ward win a corner which was knocked down to Kenzo Goudmijn on the edge of the box but he fired over the bar.
Burnley then began to find some joy when a smart move led to Josh Brownhill running through on goal but his effort was clawed away by Jacob Widell Zetterstrom. Jeremy Sarmiento then saw a shot deflected wide by Brownhill before the latter claimed a penalty when his shot took a deflection and hit Phillips in the box.
But the best chance either side created fell to Derby who saw Kenzo Goudmijn feed Jerry Yates who beat the offside trap to leave him with James Trafford to beat. The Burnley goalkeeper stayed big to make the save and when the rebound fell to Yates, he just couldn't squeeze it inside the posts.
At the other end, Zetterstrom did well to keep out Luca Koleosho before Liam Thompson saw a lovely strike just clear the bar. And in stoppage time, Marcus Harness let fly from 20 yards and it flew inches wide of the post.
X-Rated Burnley comments said it all
Up in the Gods near the press box, you could sense the restlessness in the stands at Turf Moor and it ended up proving too much for a Burnley fan. Turning the air blue and firing out a swearword that rhymed with the word white, his frustration with Scott Parker's side continued to grow throughout the 90 minutes.
But that annoyance was not a result of Burnley's own shortcomings, but was owed to Derby's reslience in what was a very disciplined performance. Jacob Widell Zetterstrom only had to make two saves of note across the entire 90 minutes, as they defended with intelligence matched with aggression.
Openings largely became cul-de-sacs and there were some excellent individual performances. Boos rang out at the full-time whistle as Burnley fans made their feelings clear. Meanwhile, the away end paid tribute to a group of players who gave everything to the cause and on another night maybe could have come away with all three points.
Cashin imperious
There were some excellent performances across the board but Eiran Cashin produced what was arguably his best display of the season.
The academy graduate is arguably playing the best football of his career and this was close to 90-minute perfection. His reading of the game, his bravery not to mention his quality in possession was a treat for the eyes. He may not be blessed with the quickest legs in the Championship, but he's blessed with an almost psychic ability to spot danger and then snuff it out before it happens.
He was a major reason why Derby won promotion last season, but in what is a significant step up in quality, he is playing against strikers who have fetched millions in the market and making them look ordinary. He's already an early contender for player of the season and he will be integral to Derby's ambitions both in the short and the long term.
Ebou's value to Derby is huge
Ebou Adams' presence in Derby's midfield was sorely missed at the weekend at Leeds but he was back with a vengeance at Turf Moor. He chased lost causes, he won tackles, he upset the natives and he turned 50/50s in his favour and that tenacity and aggression gave Scott Parker's side numerous problems.
The amount of running he gets through seems insanely high and yet even when he gets to 90 minutes, he never really appears tired. He epitomises a lot of what is good about this Derby team in terms of its heart and it was great to see him back doing what he does best.
Adams is very much Derby's smiling assassin and a wonderful competitor and when he's not playing, his absence is always acutely felt. He must be a nightmare to play against.
It could have been all three
While Derby's resilience was being celebrated at full-time, this was not a performance all about defensive fortitude.
Parker praised the fact that the players had only one day to work on their tactical plan and it was one that, on another day, could have led to them being the first team to winning at Turf Moor this season.
It is true that Burnley had a couple of good chances, but Derby had their own with Jerry Yates having the best opportunity of the game when he raced onto a superb through ball from Kenzo Goudmijn. James Trafford raced off his line and showcased why he is a highly rated young goalkeeper as he made a decent save. But Liam Thompson and Marcus Harness also came close with efforts that were inches away from finding the target.
Ahead of a huge game against Portsmouth on Friday night, it should give Derby a booster jab in confidence having held their own against a team that was only playing Premier League football last season.
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