Derby v Leicester 02/11/96 3.00Derby (0) 2 Leicester (0) 0 FT Ward 56 Whitlow 89 (og) Derby ended a run of seven matches without a win with a fine 2-0 victory over Leicester in a fiercely-contested East Midlands derby at the Baseball Ground. Ashley Ward fired Derby ahead with a close range minute 10 minutes into the second-half and Mike Whitlow's own goal a minute from time destroyed Leicester's hopes of salvaging a point. Derby keeper Russell Hoult tipped over a looping header from Leicester substitute Jamie Lawrence as the visitors mounted a late rally in search of an equaliser. But Derby substitute Dean Sturridge led a swift counter attack and when he crossed from the left, Whitlow, racing back to cover the line, could not prevent the ball bobbling off his shins into the empty net. Derby went into the game with 10 goals from 11 league games one more than Leicester and when Ward wasted two first-half free headers a goalless draw looked to be the most likely outcome. But Ward, a £1million signing from Norwich in March, stuck to his task and was rewarded with the goal which set Derby on the road to a welcome three points. Leicester were forced to make two changes from the side which beat Newcastle with Kasey Keller on World Cup duty with the US and skipper Steve Walsh suspended. Poole was making his first appearance of the season in place of Keller and Colin Hill replaced Walsh. Steve Claridge won his battle to recover from an ankle injury and lined up alongside England Under-21 international Emile Heskey. Derby were without their skipper, Croatian international Igor Stimac, who was starting a three-match suspension. Dean Yates, making his first start since the opening day of the season, deputised. Both sides have struggled to score goals in the top flight and Derby's lack of firepower was underlined by some wasteful first-half finishing. Ward was the worst offender, squandering two free headers, when Leicester's well-drilled defence suffered momentary lapses of concentration. Ward wastefully steered a downward header wide when Aljosa Asanovic's picked him out at the far post and, with Leicester's defence appealing in vain for an offside flag, he headed over Jacob Laursen's cross. Derby pressure mounted as the half wore on and just before the interval Muzzy Izzet cleared Gary Rowett's header off the line from Asanovic's corner. Leicester spent most of the half on the defensive, but Steve Claridge clipped the top of the crossbar with an 18th-minute chip from the left edge of the Derby penalty area. Derby seized the initiative at the start of the second-half and mounting pressure paid off when Ward made up for his first-half failings to fire the Rams ahead in the 55th minute. Flynn's right-wing cross found Dailly beyond the far post and his nod down invited Ward to stab the ball past Poole from six yards. Ward thought he had earned Derby a penalty in the 65th-minute when he went down under Watts' penalty area challenge, but the referee had other ideas and instead booked Ward for leading the home protests. 
Derby: (3-5-2) Hoult, Rowett, McGrath, Laursen, Yates, C. Powell, Asanovic (Simpson, 85), D. Powell, Flynn, Dailly (Sturridge, 76), Ward. Subs not used: Taylor, Carbon, Willems. Booked: C. Powell, Ward, Flynn. Leicester: (3-5-2) Poole, Grayson, Whitlow, Watts, Prior (Lawrence, 43), Hill (Marshall, 65), Izzet, Lennon, Taylor (Parker, 65), Claridge, Heskey. Subs not used: Hyde, Campbell. Booked: Izzet, Heskey, Lawrence. Attendance: 18,010. Referee: G P Barber (Surrey). |
