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Search forBest yet but still no win as the Rams sink to the basement
Monday, September 01, 2008, 07:30
Sadly, they did not possess a Lionel Messi in their ranks to unlock the door they hammered on for 70 minutes at Barnsley and all the good work came to nothing when the home side struck twice late on to take the points.
Both managers, Derby's Paul Jewell and Barnsley's Simon Davey, went into the fixture at Oakwell feeling the heat of poor starts to the season.
Davey emerged gratefully clutching a 2-0 win but knowing his team had been fortunate to escape a defeat.
Jewell, winless in 28 league games as Rams boss and under growing pressure, could only clutch at the knowledge his team had been the better side.
And they had but football is a results business and there are no prizes for playing well and losing, especially when your last league win was almost a year ago, as is the case with Derby.
The Championship is not a pleasant sight even at this early stage.
Instead of using the deserved victory over Preston in the Carling Cup as a springboard, Derby have belly-flopped to the bottom of the table and have one point from 12.
There may be 42 games remaining in this marathon but the need for a first league win for the team and Jewell could not be more obvious.
Their wait should be over because they saw enough of the ball and were on top for enough long periods to have seen off a jittery Barnsley who were without a point until Saturday.
Miles Addison's power and desire in central midfield coupled with Paul Green's energy and willingness to cover ground up and down the right proved key features of the performance, and there are signs that Polish international Przemyslaw Kazmierczak is starting to settle.
Whether or not centre-back Addison develops into the midfielder Jewell believes he will, remains to be seen, but one crunching tackle by the 19-year-old in the opening minutes had you feeling sorry for the ball. It is good to see Derby winning tackles in the middle of the park.
Strikers Emanuel Villa and Rob Hulse held the ball up well and worked the home defence, while Derby's own defence, in which Jordan Stewart impressed, was untroubled throughout the first half and Roy Carroll was little more than a spectator.
The same could not be said for home keeper Luke Steele.
He denied Green on the stroke of half-time and kept out efforts from Hulse, Kris Commons, Kazmierczak and Villa in a hectic seven-minute spell in the second-half as the Rams peppered Barnsley's goal.
The most impressive save was the double he pulled off in the 65th minute to first deny Commons before quickly jumping to his feet to block the follow-up from Kazmierczak with his legs.
Much of Derby's play carried purpose and shape but the cutting edge needs sharpening. They did not create a clear-cut opening where the striker saw the whites of the keeper's eyes.
They have scored one goal in four league outings – a problem that needs urgent attention.
Commons, billed as the 'magician with a wand of a left foot', is seen as a player who can swing tight contests Derby's way but he had his worst game in a Derby shirt.
His display was more messy than Messi.
He was wasteful when in promising positions, slicing shots and crosses to all areas other than those he intended. He was like a novice golfer hacking his way around the course.
Derby's failure to turn their possession into goals was eventually punished when Barnsley edged their way into the match and struck twice in the last 19 minutes.
Brian Howard's free kick on 71 minutes was hoisted into the box more in hope than expectation but when the ball was only half-cleared, Iain Hume pounced to thump a blistering volley from 20 yards high past Carroll and into the top corner.
"Sacked in the morning, you're getting sacked in the morning" sang the Barnsley fans as Jewell stood in the dugout hardly believing his luck.
Hume's cracker came from nowhere and knocked the stuffing out of Derby, understandable in the circumstances because first goals carry so much clout when confidence is as brittle as it is right now.
But in no way can that be used as an excuse for conceding such a poor second goal eight minutes from time.
Barnsley defender Stephen Foster was allowed to go unchecked to meet Hume's corner and bury a free header.
Carroll prevented Barnsley scoring again in the dying minutes when he brilliantly tipped over Howard's shot. A third goal would have been seriously cruel.
Sometimes there is no logic to football.
Derby played better at Barnsley than they did in the win at Preston a few days earlier and yet they lost when they desperately needed a victory going into the two-week international break.
Now a cloud will hang over Pride Park until the action resumes with a visit from Sheffield United for a live TV date.
The old 'message in a Bottle' record by The Police was played before the match at Barnsley. In it, Sting sings the line 'sending out an SOS' which is fitting for Derby and Jewell in the current situation.
Both need help in the shape of a result right now – or perhaps the club could make a cheeky bid for Lionel Messi before the transfer window closes at midnight tonight!
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