Change of luck due for Derby County as Nigel Clough's men bid to put an end to poor away record

NIGEL Clough believes his Derby County team are due a change of luck in away games.

The Rams have one of the worst away records in the Championship as they prepare to take on Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium tomorrow (3pm).

Only Bolton Wanderers (10), Barnsley (11) and Bristol City (11) have collected fewer points on the road than Derby's 12, although the Rams did win at Bristol last month and drew at Charlton Athletic in their most recent away game.

Performances on their travels have deserved a greater return and Clough feels his team are not getting the rub of the green, at times.

"We are going into games looking forward to them, home or away," he said.

"We have had the majority of the possession in games away from home.

"It is not a case of us sitting back or being under the cosh, other than maybe at Crystal Palace.

"We are creating chances in away games, so that has not been the problem.

"A couple of times we haven't. Burnley away we didn't create enough and we saw the reaction to that at Charlton with the number of goal attempts and crosses we had.

"It is just having the confidence to take those chances.

"I think at Pride Park everybody assumes now that we are going to score goals.

"It is different away from home, where it takes a slightly different mentality to get that goal.

"But this is all part of a young team building that confidence needed in away games. It takes time for that to come together.

"As much as you want to, you cannot play like you do at home.

"We want to keep that principle but make sure we are solid as well."

Almost three times as many goals have been scored by Derby at Pride Park than on the road this season.

They have hit 29 goals in 13 home league games and only 11 in 13 away games.

Clough says his team are due a break on the road and he points to a number of away games, Burnley, Charlton and Millwall included, where luck has gone against them.

"We think we are being punished in away games," he added.

"There was nothing in the Burnley game when the ball flew into our net off somebody's knee. I cannot remember the last time that happened for us.

"At Charlton, one flew into the top corner from 30 yards out and a key decision went against us for the first goal at Millwall.

"There were also the penalty decisions that we didn't get at Millwall.

"Little things like that have gone against us but have gone for us in home games.

"There was our first goal against Birmingham City that they said was offside, when Conor Sammon put the ball in the net.

"The first goal against Tranmere in the Cup on Saturday came when the keeper made a mistake.

"You need a break at the right time but you don't tend to get them as much away from home."