Poor Derby slump to defeat at Ipswich

Saturday 22 November 2008

DERBY County produced one of their poorest displays of the season as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat against Ipswich Town at Portman Road this afternoon.

Goals from Pablo Counago and Jonathan Walters, one in each half, gave Ipswich a thoroughly deserved victory.

Derby were flat from start to finish and rarely tested the home side.

Paul Jewell named the same team that beat Sheffield Wednesday to record Derby’s biggest win of the season.

Centre-backs Claude Davis and Lewin Nyatanga returned unscathed from international duty, and so new signing Darren Powell was on the bench. Powell put pen to paper on a two-month contract yesterday.

Strikers Kevin Lisbie and Jon Stead, who both spent loan spells at Derby in recent seasons, were among the Ipswich substitutes.

Ipswich made all the running in the opening 25 minutes.

Roy Carroll held a header from Darren Ambrose and was out bravely to block from David Norris after Jordan Stewart’s header back had dropped short.

Carroll then kept out a low shot from Ambrose and parried a frim drive from Norris.

Nothing had been seen of Derby going forward and the home side took a deserved lead on 27 minutes, although they were helped by a shocking mistake from Davis.

Walters beat Nyatanga to flick the ball on and Davis dithered when his should have dealt with the situation.

This allowed Counago to nip in and roll the ball wide of Carroll.

It was a cool finish by the Ipswich forward but he should never have been allowed a sight of goal.

Davis limped off minutes later and was replaced by Powell who came on for his debut.

The only save made by home keeper Richard Wright in the first half came when he dropped to his left to easily hold a deflected shot from Miles Addison.

Walters went close to doubling Ipswich’s lead early in the second half when he dragged a shot from an angle narrowly wide after being released by Owen Garvan.

Derby finally roused themselves on 63 minutes and substitute Przemyslaw Kazmierczak met Nacer Barazite’s deep

cross but his firm header was kept out by Wright’s sharp reaction save.

But they shot themselves in the foot again three minutes later and Ipswich took a 2-0 lead.

Garvan, the home side’s best player on the day, found David Wright on the overlap with a fine pass. His low cross looked looked certain to be cleared by Powell but the defender, off balance, slipped and the ball came
off his heel and fell for Walters who smashed it in from close range.

Paul Green blasted a volley over from an inviting position to sum up a disappointing afternoon for the Rams.

IPSWICH TOWN: R Wright; D Wright, Bruce, Naylor, Thatcher; Norris (Miller, 83), Garvan, Shumulikoski, Ambrose; Counago (Stead, 74), Walters (Lisbie, 89).
Other subs: Supple (gk), Balkestein.

DERBY COUNTY: Carroll; Connolly, Davis (Powell, 36), Nyatanga, Stewart; Barazite, Addison, Green, Commons (Kazmierczak, 51); Hulse, Villa (Ellington, 70).
Other subs: Bywater (gk), McEveley.

REFEREE: M P Russell (Hertfordshire).

ATTENDANCE: 20,239.