MATCH REPORT | DERBY COUNTY 3-2 BURTON ALBION

ALBION experienced disappointment at Pride Park when Derby County won a five-goal match, thanks to Conor Hourihane's winning goal in injury time.

In Martin Paterson's debut as head coach, the match turned out to be quite a wild ride. Derby managed to score two goals within the first five minutes of the second half. James Collins scored a goal with a header, which increased the lead. The first half goal was scored by Tom Barkhuizen.

However, they did not plan for an impressive return as Steve Seddon rapidly reduced the deficit with a ground-level shot and Joe Hugill added some Premier League flair with a precise goal only three minutes after making his debut. He raced through from the midfield with confidence and scored an impressive goal.

Albion seemed to have secured a well-deserved draw in their manager's debut match, however, Hourihane's shot from eighteen yards prevented Albion from achieving this.

Paterson made only two changes to the team for Albion's latest League One game following their draw with Wycombe nine days earlier. Sam Hughes had a tight calf from the Bristol Street Motors Trophy and was replaced by Jake Caprice at wing-back, enabling Jasper Moon to move to a central role. Bobby Kamwa was out of action after leaving early against the Chairboys, so Ciaran Gilligan took his place in a slightly more central role, supporting Mason Bennett and Bez Lubala up top. Mark Helm was back on the bench after recovering from a foot problem, with Manchester United’s Joe Hugill also available as a substitute to bolster the attacking options.

The captain of Rams, Conor Hourihane, got an early opportunity to score in the game, during the third minute, when James Collins provided him with a pass that he received outside the box. Conor decided to take his chances and attempted a shot on goal, but unfortunately, the ball went over the crossbar and no goal was scored.

Curtis Nelson missed the mark too, when he attempted to head the ball into the net from a free kick taken by Hourihane. The free kick was taken from the left side and Nelson was positioned close to the goal post. However, the ball ended up going over the goal post rather than hitting the target.

In the soccer game, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing went really fast on the field at 22 minutes, but Max Crocombe stopped him and got lucky when the ball bounced out to Collins who couldn't control it.

The team from Derby scored first at the 29 minute mark. Mendez-Laing made progress down the right side and sent a cross that looked for an opportunity, ultimately finding BARKHUIZEN at the back post. BARKHUIZEN then smoothly swept the ball into the goal.

During the 37th minute, Joe Powell attempted a corner for Albion and directed it towards Josh Vickers, the Rams' goalkeeper. The ball was aimed directly at him but he managed to avoid it, causing the ball to just barely miss crossing the crossbar and instead land on top of the net. The goalkeeper must have felt relieved that the shot didn't result in a goal for Albion.

The first half of the game between Derby County and Burton Albion has ended with Derby County leading one to zero over Burton Albion.

Following a fast-paced movement within the Burton area, the Brewers managed to break free towards the right side of the pitch with Jake Caprice being urged to advance and provide a cross for Bennett. Unfortunately, Bennett's headed attempt missed the target.

Just a minute after scoring their first goal, Derby managed to score another one. Crocombe, the goalkeeper, tried to push away a strong cross from the opposing team, but Derby's players were fast enough to get hold of the ball and launch it towards the danger zone. Barkhuizen successfully headed the ball back towards COLLINS, who then powerfully headed it into the top corner from six yards away.

Albion didn't stay down for too much time and managed to score a goal at the 54th minute. SEDDON snatched the ball from Mendez-Laing and confidently moved forward to unleash a low shot that swiftly found its way into the bottom corner of the net.

Paterson substituted Bennett and Gilligan with Hugill and Helm after 60 minutes of play to inject more energy into the team.

The player from Manchester United who was on loan had just entered the field for three minutes when he scored to equalize the game. Seddon passed the ball to HUGILL who ran confidently towards the goal and shot the ball smoothly into the net.

With ten minutes left on the clock, Albion decided to make a substitution. Originally, they planned to replace Lubala, who had been working hard throughout the match. However, Seddon was having trouble with a knock, so the wing back was taken out instead. Eventually, Lubala was substituted three minutes later, and Rekeem Harper was brought in to strengthen the midfield. Hugill was left as the sole striker on the field.

Collins missed an opportunity to give Derby the lead again when there were only six minutes left in the game. Mendez-Laing passed the ball deeply across the field and Collins tried to shoot it into the goal, but he didn't hit it properly and the ball went wide.

As the game was approaching its final moments, Derby managed to take the lead. Kane Wilson attempted to score from the edge of the penalty area, but his shot was blocked. Fortunately, the ball landed perfectly for HOURIHANE, who skillfully placed it into the bottom corner of the net.

It was tough for the Brewers, who made a strong comeback in the second half and were very close to getting an important point.

The team "ALBION" had their lineup for the match. The players included Crocombe; Moon, Brayford, Sweeney; Caprice, Oshilaja, Powell, and Seddon. During the game, Carayol came in for Seddon at the 80th minute. Gilligan was substituted by Helm at the 62nd minute, while Bennett was replaced by Hugill at the same time. Lubala, who played until the 83rd minute, was replaced by Harper.

Alternatives: Blackman, Scott, Tamen.

Targets Achieved: DERBY – Barkhuizen (29), Collins (49), Hourihane (90+3); ALBION – Seddon (54), Hugill (65)