Derby County: Saturday 20th Sept '08 at Pride Park
The last time we met, Derby County they were firing on all cylinders and heading for the Premier League - but we travel to Pride Park on Saturday finding our opponents in slightly different and recently unpredictable form.
By their own admission, Derby have had a difficult opening Championship campaign with some early negative results coming despite high expectations following their drop from the top tier of British football.
Newly promoted Doncaster sprung a surprise on Derby's own patch on the opening day, followed by a Carling Cup win over Lincoln City. An away point at Bristol City came next before further Pride Park frustration in a loss to Southampton. A second respite to the Championship gave the Rams passage to the third round of the Carling Cup, though it would be a good guess to assume that Derby supporters would have traded the win for the three points lost the following weekend at Barnsley.
Paul Jewell has admitted to the pressure that comes with a lack of league wins, so was understandably relieved last Saturday when the first three league points of his tenure came at home to Sheffield United in a 2-1 win - former Blade Rob Hulse with the second half winner.
Jewell told BBC Radio Derby: "I'm delighted for the supporters and the chairman as well as the players because we've been through terrible times. But I'm not getting carried away because it is only one game. It all bodes well for the future. We're never going to play silky football at the moment. We've got to scrap, we've got to fight and we did that against Sheffield United."
Welsh opposition came next as a warm up for Cardiff City this Saturday came on Tuesday night at Swansea's Liberty Stadium. The Rams however were denied a first away league win in eighteen months as Ashley Williams headed the hosts back to a late point after Stephen Pearson had broken the deadlock on 63 minutes when he blasted home Nathan Ellington's cross.
Derby ran out clear winners last time we met, which was at Pride Park in March of 2007, but we faired better in a New Years Day visit in which we won our first away game of the 2004/2005 season 1-0 courtesy of a Peter Thorne goal.
No doubt the home only contingent of Rams fans will look to the match with renewed optimism and the chance for a second successive Pride Park Championship win. It's set to be a fierce encounter and one that Cardiff City will need to be on top form to see any points brought back to South Wales.
Rams XI v Swansea: Carroll, Connolly, Stewart, Leacock, Addison, Albrechtsen, Green, Kazmierczak (Ellington 56), Barazite, Pearson (McEveley 83), Villa (Davies 80). Subs Not Used: Bywater, Nyatanga. Booked: Connolly, McEveley. Goals: Pearson 63.
