Derby's Opening Day Delight

Leeds United 1 Derby County 2

Nigel Clough’s Derby County inflicted a first opening day defeat on Leeds for twenty-one years with an away win at Elland Road in the late game on the first Saturday of the football league season. In an open first half, Rob Hulse opened the scoring for County netting against his former club, powerfully finishing from Paul Green’s perfectly timed and weighted pass. The Lilywhites got back on level terms quickly after fifteen minutes with academy product Johnny Howson skipping past rams captain Robbie Savage and the centre halves before squaring to Luciano Becchio who simply had to tap the ball home. The winner came from the penalty spot just before the half hour when Kris Commons slotted in coolly from twelve yards. Former Wigan forward Tomasz Cywka, who turned his loan spell at Pride Park into a permanent move over the summer, won the spot kick after ex-Charlton winger Lloyd Sam lunged in with a typical forward’s tackle.

Simon Grayson’s League One runners-up from last season fielded four debutants from the start. Sam was joined by ex-Swansea left-back Fede Bessone, last season’s League Two goalkeeper of the year Kasper Schmeichel and Derby’s old right-back Paul Connolly all playing in a Leeds shirt for the first time competitively. The Rams fielded put out three new signings, ex-Crewe pair John Brayford and James Bailey joined former Doncaster left back Gareth Roberts. It was the son of Danish and Manchester United legend Peter, Schmeichel junior who was the most impressive of the fresh faces on display however, making a string of outstanding saves, including an unbelievable double save after the seventy-five minutes, the second a point blank block from Derby substitute Shaun Barker. Clough had left the 2010 Jack Stamps Trophy winner for player of the season out of the starting XI due to him recently returning from a knee operation, preferring Russell Anderson. In the first half both sides definitely had defensive question marks over them and whilst some commentators will continue to talk up United losing top scorer Jermaine Beckford on a free transfer, today the injured Patrick Kisnorbo was for me a bigger miss from the Leeds backline. In the first half particularly the Rams defence were not doing enough to win the second ball.

Kris Commons showed some real flashes driving forward cutting in from the left and County’s number ten may be looking back to his best after injuries limited him to less than half the league games during the last campaign. Paul Green caught the eye too and there is now some tangible evidence to a wider audience to the midfielder being brought into the Republic of Ireland setup by national manager Giovanni Trapattoni. By contrast, I felt Sanchez Watt was something of a disappointment for the Lilywhites. The Arsenal youngster who has joined on loan for a second spell struggled to get into the game and struggled somewhat to do anything to change it, but it is important to consider his age and the fact that he is far from the finished product. Johnny Howson, Neil Kilkenny and Bradley Johnson continue to be solid performers though, giving the team a strong spine along with United captain Richard Naylor who hit the bar in the first half from close range. What needs to improve is service from wide areas as Becchio simply did not get enough from Sam and Watt.

Clough will look to build on the result by negotiating the first round of the Carling Cup in midweek away at Crewe before another test comes in a home match with Cardiff, whilst Leeds have the perfect opportunity to bounce back against Chris Sutton’s Lincoln City on Tuesday. Elsewhere in the Championship two of the bookies favourites lost. Middlesbrough threw away a 1-0 lead at home to Ipswich who put three goals past Gordon Strachan’s side and Nottingham Forest were sunk by a debut goal from Burnley’s Chris Iwelumo.