Sam Hoskins’ goal in the first half of Northampton Town’s match at Sixfields sealed the victory, and Derby County lost the opportunity to go seven points clear of Bolton in the fight for automatic promotion.
Following an extremely competitive opening, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing made a great move to get him into the area where he was able to pick out Liam Thompson, whose shot was blocked. However, a better opportunity presented itself a few seconds later when Martyn Waghorn was picked out by Louie Sibley at the back post, but he blasted over the bar.
That error proved to be costly, as Louis Appere beat Sonny Bradley to swing in a cross that Sam Hoskins superbly converted on the volley to give Northampton the lead, even though Kane Wilson looked to have been fouled in the build-up.
Derby was forced to respond, and they went on to generate two more excellent opportunities after Ebou Adams noticed that Sam Sherring had cleared a shot off the line. And there was yet more to come when Kane Wilson’s exquisite cross found the unmarked midfield player, who sent his header over the crossbar.
After the interval, Manny Monthe unleashed his thunderous 20-yard striker from the edge of the box, cannoning it off the post and away to safety, bringing the Cobblers dangerously near to another goal.
Waghorn’s attempt was cleared off the line as Derby kept looking for an equalizer, but that was the closest they got as their chances of winning five straight games were dashed.
With all other teams on their international break, this game offered an incredible chance to psychologically weaken the opposition in the top six. However, in typical Derby fashion, they wasted a fantastic opportunity to trail leaders Portsmouth by two points, and at full time, the supporters at Bolton, Barnsley, and Peterborough were practically audible.
In the end, this was a day when everything that might go wrong did go wrong. Initially, Derby wasted three excellent opportunities in the first half, then Sonny Bradley was sent off and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing hobbled off. Paul Warne stated that he thought his team did not handle the pressure of needing to win very well, but overall it appeared to be a worn-out effort lacking any inspiration, especially in the last portion of the game.
Although there was a foul on Kane Wilson during the build-up, Northampton’s counterattack strategy of playing with one man up front and trying to hit Derby was not a very clever one. This is how the goal was scored.
The fact that Derby still has six games left to play to secure promotion is the most bright spot from this afternoon. You wouldn’t want it any other way, because in this case, failure just served to guarantee that there was less room for error.
Let’s be honest, though. None of the teams—Bolton, Peterborough, Portsmouth, or Barnsley—will win their next seven games in a row. This season, neither of them has succeeded in the league once, so if they succeed and advance, it will have been well-earned. However, Derby needed to learn from this that they cannot compromise on quality and that defeating Blackpool on Friday is essential.
Due to a nagging hamstring injury he sustained shortly after arriving, the £300,000 transfer from Charlton has not had the best of starts to his Derby career.
However, in his thirty minutes on the field here, he displayed glimpses of the abilities that suggested he is now prepared to display the genius that made him one of the division’s most feared wingers. He displayed lightning-fast reflexes and agility in a few instances, as well as some good balls that he teased into the box—one of which Curtis Nelson was unable to count.
However, it was a positive contribution from the former player for Aston Villa, who now has a chance to truly establish himself in this promotion push. Blackett-Taylor is the next best winger in line considering his pace if Mendez-Laing is likely to be out for a while (more on that below).
He proved at Charlton that no one could live with him when he’s in his element, which is why Derby signed him in the first place. If he could step up to the plate now, it would be very welcome.
Bradley depends on the camera to keep him from getting whacked in the pocket.
Sonny Bradley’s red card during stoppage time summed up a horrible day at work, so he really has nothing to complain about. The center defender had maintained his innocence, according to Warne’s post-game remarks, but he now faces a three-match suspension during a crucial period of the season.
He will be missing a significant portion of the run-in unless there is compelling video footage that unequivocally demonstrates he did not aim a headbutt at Manny Monthe. He will be unable to play against Portsmouth, Wycombe, or Blackpool—three of the toughest games remaining in the campaign.
The only thing that came of this pointless, foolish, and careless fight was helping Northampton win all three points. And as there are now no other available fit center-backs, Warne will probably need to go from a three at the back, which will have a significant impact on the team.
Since he hadn’t viewed the incident again before leaving to perform his post-match obligations, Warne stated he will investigate it. However, Warne stated that Bradley will be subject to a fine if it turns out that he has no defense. Bradley ought to apologize to his teammates as soon as possible. Yes, there was a lot on the line and the game was emotionally packed, but he’s let himself down at a time when Derby are already all but gone.
The Mendez-Laing blow is a nightmare, and the injuries keep getting worse.
I think it’s safe to say that Holby City has suffered less casualties this season than Derby has, even though the numbers are still mounting. Craig Forsyth is dealing with a calf injury, and Tom Barkhuizen is sidelined for three weeks. With these players out, the current starting lineup could certainly contend for promotion on its own.
However, the most terrifying scenario that no one wanted to consider materialized when Nathaniel Mendez-Laing hobbled out in the second half due to a hamstring injury.
Shortly afterward, Warne inquired of the winger whether he was alright, to which he replied negatively. The head coach of Derby shook his head and said, “Sake.” No rocket scientist is needed to figure out what his first word was.
Given that his hamstring injury occurred during a tackle, it is hoped that it was only a blow to the leg and not a pull. However, considering that he is the league’s finest winger and essential to this Derby team’s goals, it would be inexplicable to lose him for the remainder of the campaign. I hope it turns out to be only a small ding.
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