Derby County take a precious advantage into the second leg of their Championship playoff semi final against Fulham next week after Cameron Jerome’s first half header proved decisive at Pride Park.
The Rams started well and deserved their first half lead, but were reminded of Fulham’s threat after the break and while they kept them at bay, Gary Rowett’s men will be well aware their work is only half done.
Here are four talking points from a pulsating match up on Friday evening.
Cameron Jerome’s goal provides crucial advantage for Derby
This was the meeting of the playoff bridesmaids, neither Derby nor Fulham have good memories of this mini-tournament; the hosts have been promoted this way just once before, while the visitors came into the game having never won a game, let alone a tie or even gone all the way. Both were looking to take the game from the scruff of the neck, and while Fulham settled into a pattern by dominating possession and getting the ball into their danger men Ryan Sessegnon and Aleksandar Mitrovic, it soon became clear that the game was being played in the way Derby will have wanted. Left winger Sessegnon, the Championship Player of the Year, saw an early shot sail over Scott Carson’s bar, while Floyd Ayite had a tame header saved. Mitrovic’s impact soon began to wane, too, as he couldn’t escape the grasp of Derby captain Curtis Davies, though he did force Carson into a good save on the turn moments after Fulham went behind.
Rowett got his tactics spot on; every time his side got an opportunity, they broke forward at pace, winning the ball higher up the pitch as the first half went on. He stuck with three at the back and that allowed them to marginalise Fulham’s midfield threat, namely Tom Cairney, who found himself being bested by Tom Huddlestone. The Derby midfielder’s impressive passing range proved pivotal just after the half hour mark when he found Craig Forsyth, whose perfectly weighted cross was powered home by Jerome at the far post for his fifth goal in four games.
Fulham soon stepped it up after the break; for all his frustration, Mitrovic linked the play excellently, and he almost set Kevin McDonald up for the equaliser, only for his strike to crash against the bar moments before Ayite hit over after breaking the offside trap. They simply didn’t threaten Carson enough over the 90 minutes, though.
Fulham looked nervous with Sessegnon on the periphery
Sessegnon huffed and puffed but for all of his best efforts, he couldn’t get into the game, especially after Jerome gave Derby the lead. The 17-year-old doesn’t officially reach adulthood until next week, but by the amazingly high standards he has set himself this season, he was poor, failing to get close enough to Mitrovic and giving Andre Wisdom, the Derby right-back, a much easier night than he will have anticipated. The most amazing stat of the evening was that Sessegnon had the fewest touches of any outfield player in the first half; just 19. To his credit, he began to make more direct runs, turning Wisdom toward his own goal, as Fulham began to exert more pressure.
Slovisa Jokanovic, who led Watford to the Premier League in 2015, cannot have been happy with either of his wide players. He was visibly frustrated with Ayite, who replaced Lucas Piazon in the side, because he wasn’t effective enough in possession. Matt Targett was overpowered in the build up to the goal, but he was impressive in attack, keeping the width as Fulham’s territorial approach changed, but the majority of their play was coming through the middle and the likes of McDonald and Cairney, who had previously looked as if the game was passing him by.
Derby will need to see more from Matej Vydra at Craven Cottage
All the talk before the game, and as the second half developed, was about Fulham’s potency in attack. Mitrovic scored 12 goals in just 17 regular Championship games, nine of which had come against top half teams, and they were a threat until the end having scored 49 goals in the second half of games this season, and a staggering 22 goals in the last 15 minutes. Derby had scoring options of their own, though; not only had Jerome found form at exactly the right time, Matej Vydra was the top scorer in the league with 21 goals. Rowett would have needed more from his main man, who was brought off midway through the second half and replaced by David Nugent.
Vydra ran the channels and put the work in, but he did not get a clear-cut chances to add to his tally for the campaign. Fulham’s intensity, shape and ability in possession makes it easy to see why they are so effective late in games, and Derby’s directness on the counter attack began to wither, resulting in Vydra’s withdrawal. While they became only the second team after Southampton in the FA Cup to stop Fulham scoring in 2018, it will be even tougher to repeat the feat at Craven Cottage next week, so they will need Vydra to find his scoring boots again.
Fulham’s dismal playoff record continues but the tie is far from over
It wasn’t Mitrovic’s night, or Sessegnon’s, or Ayite’s; Cairney struggled to influence proceedings too. Derby had much more playoff experience in their side, and perhaps it showed. Davies and Huddlestone were excellent in helping see the game through, but the home side only take a slight advantage into the second leg. Fulham, while still waiting for a first playoff win, will be confident they can turn it around and reach Wembley.
All that said, Rowett and Derby know what they need to do; the second half showed how Jokanovic will get his side to play, and a repeat performance could be enough to get the job done on Monday.
