Derby County back in positive points after 1-0 win over Reading
Derby 1-0 Reading: Wayne Rooney’s men move back on positive points after Craig Forsyth’s first league goal in FIVE YEARS secures precious win
- Craig Forsyth scores first goal in five years as Rams beat Reading 1-0
- Derby remain bottom of the Championship with one point after 10 games
- Derby were hit with a 12-point deduction after entering administration
- Reading could face nine-point deduction themselves for financial woes
Three points to enjoy, for however long they last. Small mercies to savour, before even darker days emerge over the horizon.
Victories like this – sealed by Craig Forsyth’s first goal in five years – will likely prove in vain for Derby.
On Wednesday night, though, Wayne Rooney’s side at least hauled themselves out of the red. This win takes them to the heady tally of one.
Craig Forsyth’s first league goal in five years gave Derby a much-needed win
The defender’s looping header clinched the Rams’ third league win of the season
Financial woe has already cost Derby 12 points.
The further penalties that lurk can’t push them lower down the table, only closer to the trap door.
Punishment looms for Reading, too. They are braced to lose up to nine points for their own money troubles.
This won’t help their cause of limiting that damage.
The win moves Derby back onto positive points but they remain rock bottom
Wayne Rooney has a big job to keep Derby up after they were hit with a 12-point deduction
The former Manchester United striker hit out at Derby owner Mel Morris this week
MATCH FACTS
Derby County (4-2-3-1): Allsop; Byrne, Stearman, Davies, Forsyth; Bird, Shinnie; Knight (Buchanan 81), Morrison, Lawrence; Baldock (Stretton 46)
Coach: Wayne Rooney
Subs: Marshall, Jozwiak, Sibley, Watson, Williams
Goals: Forsyth 33
Booked: Byrne, Stearman, Shinnie, Lawrence
Reading (4-2-3-1): Southwood; Tetek (Dann 76), Yiadom, Laurent, Rahman; Drinkwater, Dele-Bashiru; Halilovic (Clarke 63), Swift, Ejaria; Puscas (Hoilett 56)
Coach: Veljko Paunović
Subs: Cabral, Ehibhatiomhan, Stickland, Bristow
Goals: NONE
Booked: NONE
Instead the spoils of the deduction derby go to Rooney and Co.
As adverts go, this was pretty grim.
The health of English football, even slightly below the iceberg’s tip, has rarely looked more bleak: one side already nursing the pain of points lost, both expecting further punishment to follow soon.
At least that shared suffering allowed for solidarity in the stands.
Last night, it took only a few minutes for both sets of supporters to come together and make plain their mutual feelings towards the EFL.
Around them, what should have been a mid-table clash had broken out.
Derby could hardly look worse than their points tally, admittedly, but they were nevertheless good value for their half-time lead.
Though Reading had openings – Baba Rahman and Tom Dele-Bashiru both forced smart saves from Ryan Allsop – Derby had looked the more likely even before Forsyth sent a looping header back across – and over – Luke Southwood.
Cue more gallows humour – or defiance: these Rams are staying up, apparently.
To their credit, Derby’s players don’t look like resigned to their fate, either.
They played with vibrancy and invention and their lead could have been two had Tom Lawrence’s shot – courtesy of a neat corner routine – found its way through a mass of bodies.
Or had substitute Jack Stretton provided the finish a sharp counter deserved. Derby almost paid the price but Allsop stood firm to lift his side into the black.
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