Nobody enjoyed watching that. Portsmouth fans tearing their hair out. Derby fans biting their nails from behind the sofa, or a padded seat in the directors’ box as it was for the suspended John Eustace. Perhaps it was predictable that a game some fans billed as a battle of Rams skippers past and present would be ugly and marred by bookings. Neither Ebou Adams nor Lewis Travis are known for their playmaking prowess. Adams' second-minute shove on his armband-sporting successor

Sometimes the written word alone is not enough to adequately express frustration. Take the ‘enraged face’ emoji which accompanied the Derby County tweet when Patrick Agyemang’s 94 th -minute effort struck the post.   The ball just would not go in.   It should have been the perfect crescendo to the final 25 minutes, where Eustace had thrown players forward to great effect. The Rams fashioning three other golden chances.   First, Agyemang’s great strength to hold off Tristan Cr

"When I see Matt Clarke on the left wing, I have a bloody heart attack!” John Eustace joked to me in his post-match press conference.   But potential palpitations aside, Eustace was clearly delighted as his side got their third straight home win in a game full of heart. The Rams also broke a second hoodoo in as many weeks by winning a game with the majority of the ball (55 per cent possession) to move within three points of the top six. South American football expert Tim Vick