Olés, injury worry and sign them up? Complete performance sees Derby beat Stoke 2-0

The flock are ¡Olé!-ing in the Easter sunshine. In cruise control, Derby are taunting Stoke as they look to see out a fifth-straight win at Pride Park for the first time since October 2019.

And then the goal that Carlton Morris had so deserved. At last, an 11^th of the season, nearly four months since he previously found the net.

Unlike his goal in Staffordshire, this was not just a neat bit of individual quality, but a sublime team move. Starting with Morris flicking the ball down to Bobby Clark, who found him nine-yards-out, 13 passes later.

“[It] was obviously a really top goal.” John Eustace said reflecting on an “excellent performance” where his team “were on the front foot”, and “very aggressive”.

Morris, the man of the moment again, just as he was when he put The Rams in front in the opening day’s reverse fixture, and more often than not in the next 15 games.

After a long lay-off and phased return, this was a performance that said, “Carlton’s back!” Derby’s number nine ran the channels, dropping deep and drifting wide to hold the ball up, while providing aerial presence in both boxes. Creating two big chances and being credited with the assist for Jaydon Banel’s opener.

To top it all off, his 89^th minute-finish provided the breathing space for Max Johnston and Lars-Jørgen Salvesen to make cameos from the bench after five- and two-month injury lay-offs, respectively. Late changes would not scupper Eustace this time.

But it was not all good news. American striker Patrick Agyemang, back in the starting XI, now sees his chances of playing at a home World Cup in serious doubt after being stretchered off in the 41^st minute having landing awkwardly and is now awaiting scan results.

Given his early chances too, it would be easy to bill this as The Morris Show. He saw a goal-bound header blocked by teammate Dion Sanderson before cracking a sweet volley off Gavin Bazunu’s right-hand post following Derry Murkin’s deflected cross. But that would do the utmost disservice to what was a sensational team display which Morris relentless but selfless afternoon, and his goal typified.

Moments after Morris hit the woodwork, Ben Brereton Díaz scuppered his own chance to score with a heavy touch. Joe Ward then drilled a low shot across goal wide as a minute’s applause to honour late Birmingham fan Paul Pike began.

Derby’s dominance was clear after some patient one-touch passing allowed Clark to play Morris in behind, with Sydney Agina on hand to tackle him on his first senior start.

Like Morris’ later goal, this was a microcosm of Derby’s afternoon. The striker was physically imposing while Clark was a creative spark drifting into space on the left vacated by first Agyemang, then later Brereton Díaz, who would join Morris up front when the ball was in the final third. Sitting deeper, fellow loanee David Ozoh put in a player of the match display, dictating the tempo before using his strength and power well in a more transitional second period.

After some crucified him for his finishing on Friday, Banel, this time playing off the right saw a goal-scoring resurrection this Easter Monday. Murkin’s cross was flicked on by Morris and tucked away with two touches by the Dutchman.

Despite dominating the ball after the break, Mark Robins’ men mustered few chances, failing hit the target all afternoon. Their only shots of note came when Jesurun Rak-Sakyi turned Sanderson for Tatsuki Seko to sky a chance, and Sam Gallagher shot wide from a fast break.

Bazunu’s right-hand post denied Bobby Clark a goal of the season contender as the 21-year-old hit a spectacular 22-yard volley. And the Irish shot-stopper then pushed away the rebound from Brereton Díaz.

The forward should have troubled his fellow Southampton loanee from a gilt-edged opportunity following great hold-up play from Morris, who of course converted the aforementioned final one of Derby’s seven big chances.

Analysis: Minute management and keeping the squad together

Amid all the praise for his side’s performance, as we have come to expect, John Eustace was looking at the bigger picture.

So came comparison with the reverse fixture, Derby’s late collapse in Stoke 40 games ago. He said: “The football was excellent today, with and without the ball we were very, very good.”

“When you look at the team from the first time we played Stoke on the opening day, its completely different to now and that’s what it’s all about.”

It has undoubtedly been a slow build, with players minutes managed throughout a cascade of fitness concerns. Phased returns have been a theme of the season.

Alongside Carlton Morris, who played a full ninety minutes (but not stoppage time) for the first time since November, this has been most evident in the midfield. Be it Ozoh at the start of the season, Travis at the turn of the year or more recent examples.

“Trav [Travis], I think’s looking better and better all the time.” Eustace said.

“Him and David [Ozoh] are back in now, we had to take Ozoh out: he’s come back stronger.

“It’s about managing the young players; we did the same with Bobby Clark. He had to come out for three or four games and when he came back into the group, he’s been top.”

And after all the patched-up midfield pairings of the first half of the season, this now looks like a play-off worthy trio, even with the likes of Szmodics and Brewster absent. Like supporters, Eustace is clearly keen to maintain these relationships across the pitch and bring back his impressive loanees.

He explained: “It’s so important now with the group that we’ve got, we keep as many players as possible going into next season, so we don’t have to start again.”

So given the progress, how far away is Eustace’s vision?

“I mean that was a great performance today,” he said, before joking: “I’ll take the good ones, I can say that’s the vision! The bad ones I’ll say no; it’s still a long way off!”

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Goals: Banel 54’, Morris 89’.

Derby (4-2-3-1): O’Donnell (GK); Ward, Sanderson, Clarke, Murkin; Travis (C), Ozoh (Fraulo 80’); Brereton Díaz (Johnston 90’+3), Clark (Allen 90’+2), Agyemang (Banel 41’); Morris (Salvesen 90’+3).

Unused Substitutes: J. Thompson (GK); Forsyth, Langås, L. Thompson.

Stoke (4-2-3-1): Bazunu (GK); Agina (Manhoef 63’), Phillips, Lawal; Thomas, N’Zonzi (C) (Baker 63, Seko, Bocat; Rak-Sakyi, Rigo (Junho 35’, Smit 78’), Cissé (Gallagher 46’).

Unused Substitutes: Simkin (GK); Cresswell, Gibson; Pearson.