MATCH REPORT: Derby County 0-1 Sunderland

Derby County fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat at Pride Park Stadium despite a battling performance as promotion-chasing Sunderland climbed to third in the Sky Bet Championship on Tuesday night.

Eliezer Mayenda put Sunderland in front after 28 minutes. The visitors appeared to double their advantage in the 78th minute, but it was ruled out for offside. Striker Lars-Jørgen Salvesen came close twice with his head as he made his debut off the bench in the second period.

The Rams lined up with an unorthodox defensive shape, with defender Eiran Cashin not risked as a precaution, having only just returned from a month out with a hamstring injury and Curtis Nelson was also absentafter suffering a cruciate ligament injury in Derby's last match - midfielder Ebou Adams played as part of the backline.

Key Moments

Sunderland had the first chance of the match in the eighth minute as Dennis Cirkin fired just over the bar from inside the penalty box after Enzo Le Fée squared the ball to him from the left flank.

Derby strung together a dangerous-looking attack in the 20th minute as Mendez-Laing was unleashed on the left flank after link-up play between the winger, Kane Wilson, Marcus Harness and Jerry Yates made space on the left flank. However, Mendez-Laing couldn’t find the final pass when in the penalty area.

Wilson Isidor hit a powerful shot from distance in the 22nd minute and forced Jacob Widell Zetterström into action for the first time in the game. The Swedish goalkeeper was alert to the danger and put his body in the way of the strike to save.

Crag Forsyth connected with Mendez-Laing’s corner delivery in the 26th minute and headed just over the bar. The corner was earned after some neat attacking play between Mendez-Laing and Wilson forced a block from a visiting defender.

Sunderland took the lead through Mayenda in the 28th minute. Chris Rigg won back possession for the Black Cats in the middle of the park and Jobe Bellingham carried the ball and found Mayenda running into the box where he fired the ball into the back of the net.

Le Fée forced a diving save from Zetterström in the 37th minute as the Rams’ goalkeeper reacted well to the Sunderland player's free-kick from 25 yards out.

Adams rose highest to meet Callum Elder’s delivery from a short corner in the 43rd minute. He connected with the ball and drove it into the ground and towards goal, but Sunderland’s goal-tender Anthony Patterson was there to react and caught the ball.

Mendez-Laing struck close from a deep free-kick as Goudmijn’s delivery dropped for the winger on the half-volley, but the strike was deflected wide for a corner in the 57th minute. Isidor nearly struck on the break from the resulting corner, but the Rams defence covered ground to see his effort on goal blocked wide.

Paul Warne’s first changes of the game came in the 58th minute with Corey Blackett-Taylor, Ben Osborn and Lars-Jørgen Salvesen entering the field of play. Salveson came on to make his debut for the Rams as Liam Thompson, Kayden Jackson and Mendez-Laing departed.

Salveson had his first involvement for Derby in the 63rd minute as he laid off Blackett-Taylor on the left wing to put in a cross that Kenzo Goudmijn met but mis-hit wide of the mark. Salveson forced a save from Patterson as he connected with another delivery from Blackett-Taylor moments later.

The striker had another identical effort denied by the Sunderland shot-stopper again as Derby upped the pressure on the hunt for an equaliser.

Dajaune Brown and Tom Barkhuizen were Derby’s next change as Yates left the field and Wilson went off after sustaining a hamstring injury.

Sunderland thought they had doubled their advantage on the break as Isidor struck the ball onto the bar and then into the net, but it was ruled offside.

The Rams continued to push into the latter stages but were met by firm resistance from Sunderland’s defence. They were also made to play with ten men for the final knockings as Brown was forced to depart the game injured, with no more available substitutions.

The Teams

Derby County: Zetterström (GK), Wilson (Barkhuizen 72), Elder, Forsyth, Adams, Mendez-Laing (C) (Blackett-Taylor 58), Thompson (Osborn 58), Goudmijn, Harness, Yates (Brown 72), Jackson (Salveson 58).

Not Used: Vickers (GK), Rooney, Ward, Turley.

Sunderland: Patterson (GK), Cirkin (Ballard 73), Neil (C), Bellingham, Rigg (Abdul Samed 85), Mayenda (Roberts 73), Isidor, Mepham, Le Fée (Hjelde 89), Hume.

Not Used: Moore (GK), Aouchiche, Aleksić, Ogunsuyi, Jones.

Referee: Sam Allison

Assistant Referees: Andrew Fox, Hristo Karaivanov

Fourth Official: Gavin Ward

Attendance

27,441 (2,645 Sunderland supporters)

What's Next?

Derby are back on the road in their next Sky Bet Championship fixture, when they face Cardiff City in Wales on Saturday 25th January (3pm kick-off).