City 4 Derby County 1
Report by Mike King
With a late kick off due to the TV cameras on a very cold evening, at least the City knew that 3 points from a victory against local rivals Derby County would take them back to third spot in the Championship after Birmingham's fight back against Middlesborough the previous evening. Derby have a miserable away record so this game should be a formality especially at the King Power.
After the defeat at Leeds during the week, perhaps it was not surprising that Konchesky regained the left back position from his able deputy Schlupp, and Knockaert replacing Marshall in mid-field. Nugent was on the bench, manager Pearson probably hoping Vardy can start to contribute some goals up front.
City started the game in a determined attacking way, with Waghorn, Dyer and Knockaert probing from wide positions as the Derby mid-field and defence struggled to cope, but after 6 minutes, it was a set piece that opened the Foxes account. Usually, corners are taken with an in-swinging bias, but with Waghorn on the left, he delivered a powerful out-swinging drive that found the unmarked Whitbread 8 yards out and he guided the ball past keeper Legzdins and the full back on the post for his first goal for the Foxes – cue memories of Elliott, Taggart and Walsh!
Then for the next 20 minutes it became the Waghorn show. What a difference a run in the team has made to him, a far cry from the nervous, struggling and frustrating player seen previously. Derby defender Keogh fouled Waghorn and from his 30-yarder curling free kick, bought a great save from Legzdins that looked a certain goal.
A deliberate Coutts handball on the ground that stopped a Waghorn pass putting Dyer away, saw a deserved yellow card from the referee. Again Waghorn took the free kick and curled his shot on to the top of the cross bar. Surely a second goal would come and nearly did when a cross from Dyer was met by Waghorn with a diving scissor kick 8 yards out, but the Derby keeper made a superb save parrying the ball to safety.
As Schmeichel was a lonely spectator, after 23 minutes the second goal did eventually arrive. Knockaert won the ball in a tackle, turned and raced away. Rather than take on the whole Derby defence, this time he actually looked up and his accurate defence splitting pass found Vardy in the box and he unselfishly guided the ball to Waghorn who punted the ball into the net to the home crowd's delight.
Then Vardy went through but his shot from the advancing Legzdins was well saved and it felt that every City attack would bring further rewards. A curling 20 yard shot from Knockaert again had Legzdins at full stretch and had it not been for the Derby keeper, the Ipswich score would have been on the board already.
The Foxes, for some reason, took their foot off the gas and allowed Derby back into the game, with the impressive 17 year old Hughes, with his blond hair in mid-field seeing a lot of the ball and you can see why Arsenal and Barcelona are interested as his passing game suits them. Schmeichel finally had to save from Jacobs and Coutts and you sensed an away goal would come and it did as Robinson beat the offside trap and thumped the ball home despite Whitbread's close attention. Derby's striker Sammon then forced his way through between two City defenders but Schmeichel again saved. Half-time arrived in a game that the Foxes should have been out of sight but the second half could be interesting.
Derby came out in a determined mood to obtain the equaliser, and the young team passed well around the pitch with the City's mid-field seemingly missing. A ball across the area was missed by all and then Sammon caused havoc as the ball was cleared from one yard out. The City defence were tested as Morgan and Whitbread held firm and De Laet and Konchesky were forced back with few raids possible down their wings.
Dyer then forced his way into the box as his cross found Knockaert and what should have been a goal, but the ball hit Knockaert's arm and the referee spotted the handball and awarded a free kick.
Pearson then made what could be called inspired substitutions, bringing on Marshall for Dyer and Nugent for the hard working Vardy and soon a third goal resulted. Marshall received the ball in mid-field, beat 4 players and his accurate cross found Nugent rising like a salmon at the far post to nod the ball home past Legzdins.
Waghorn then hit the bar again as he beat a Derby defender and the keeper to the ball but there was no one on hand to tap the ball home.
Derby players visibly wilted and it was only a matter of time before the fourth goal came with Konchesky finding Drinkwater on the edge of the box. He found Nugent who looped the ball into the top right hand corner of the net.
A well deserved victory with 3 points in the bag, although after 30 minutes Derby did make a game of it and had they obtained an equaliser when 2-1 down perhaps the result would have been different. 10 goals in the last 2 home games must swell the crowd for the Barnsley game on Saturday against struggling opposition, but then the Foxes promotion ambitions will be tested with games against Millwall, Cardiff, Hull, Burnley and Huddersfield.
Again Schmeichel and the City's defence did well despite one lapse, but the mid-field went missing after 30 minutes although Drinkwater was everywhere. Waghorn correctly received the Champagne on the pitch for his first half performance. Vardy needs a goal from somewhere but will probably keep the bench warm against Barnsley and De Laet improves with each game compared to his first starts of the season.
A final word – well done the officials who were hardly noticed and put in a good performance with no contentious decisions – for a change!
City: Schmeichel 7, De Laet 8, Morgan (c) 8, Whitbread 8, Konchesky 7, Knockaert 6 (James 80 – 6), King 6, Drinkwater 7, Dyer 6 (Marshall 66 – 7), Vardy 6 (Nugent 66 – 8), Waghorn 9. Unused subs: Logan, Schlupp, Moore, Futacs.
Derby: Legzdins, Brayford, Keogh (c), Buxton, O’Connor (Freeman 77), Coutts, Hughes, Hendrick, Robinson (Tyson 81), Sammon, Jacobs (Bennett 85). Unused subs: Fielding, O’Brien, Davies, Hoganson.
Attendance: 20,680 (883 away) Referee: Geoff Eltringham (Durham) 8
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation