Stoke City 1-0 Derby County

Photo: Conor Molloy/News Images
A fairly evenly contested midlands derby was decided in the 74th minute with Jacob Brown of Stoke City heading in the only goal of the game. In truth, there was not many clear cut chances at either end and Derby failed to register a single shot on goal for the entire game. It was a midfield battle with both teams seemingly cancelling each other out.

Photo: Conor Molloy/News Images

Photo: Conor Molloy/News Images

Photo: Conor Molloy/News Images
With both Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday winning, it was a poor result for Derby leaving them only five points clear of Rotherham in the relegation zone who have four games in hand. It also marked seven games in a row without a win for Derby who are now under significant pressure at the bottom end of the table.

Photo: Conor Molloy/News Images

Photo: Conor Molloy/News Images
The lack of goal scoring opportunities made it a rather dull encounter without significant critical incidents. Derby manager Wayne Rooney likened the first half to a testimonial and said he was “bitterly disappointed” with his teams performance. Stoke manager Michael O’Neill described his teams performance as “excellent” but paid tribute to the defensive qualities of Derby.

Photo: Conor Molloy/News Images
Written by Conor Molloy.