Bullet header from Cameron Jerome gives Derby County slim lead over Fulham
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ByEurosport
Updated 11/05/2018 at 21:55 GMT
Championship play-offs semi-final first leg, Pride Park - Derby County 1 (Jerome 34') Fulham 0
Cameron Jerome of Derby celebrates scoring the opoening goal during the Sky Bet Championship Play Off Semi Final:First Leg match between Derby County and Fulham at iPro Stadium on May 11, 2018 in Derby, England.
Image credit: Getty Images
A bullet header from Cameron Jerome gave Derby County a slender 1-0 lead over Fulham after the first leg of their Championship play-off encounter.
Fulham – who missed out on an automatic promotion spot on the last day of the league season - started the match with real confidence but Derby came to life mid-way through the first-half and thanks to a bullet header from Cameron Jerome, the Rams led at the interval.
Tom Huddlestone received the ball 30 yards out, the crowd urged him to shoot but instead he switched the ball to Craig Forsyth on the right flank. The wideman delivered a quality cross to the back post and up climbed Jerome whose header was powerfully guided into the corner for his fifth goal in four games.
But Fulham saved their best for the second-half – like they have for much of the season – and would have been level had Kevin McDonald’s thunderous effort been an inch or two lower; instead his shot from 25 yards cannoned off the crossbar.
Floyd Ayite and Tom Cairney also went agonisingly close to an equaliser as Fulham ramped up the pressure, but Derby held on for what could turn out to be a crucial victory.
The tie is perfectly poised for the second-leg which takes place on Monday night at Craven Cottage when Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic will be hoping for an improved performance, while Gary Rowett will ask for another professional display from his Derby side.
TALKING POINT
It’s advantage Derby, but can they hold on? Thanks to years of failure at the business end of the season, the Rams have developed a somewhat harsh reputation of being the ‘bottlers’ of the Championship.
History threatened to repeat itself as Gary Rowett’s side almost slipped out of the play-off positions after an eight-game winless streak across February and March, but they produced some big results to claim sixth-place, including an impressive victory over Cardiff.
Derby required another huge performance to overcome a Fulham side which has tasted defeat only twice in 24 games and while it feels like a significant result, it's important to remember that it's only half-time in this contest. The Rams will need another spirited effort in four days' time to reach Wembley for the first time since 2014 - or face their character called into question once more.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Curtis Davies (Derby): The centre-back had Aleksandar Mitrovic in his pocket for most of the evening - he never allowed the in-form Fulham striker an inch; it was an immense defensive performance.
PLAYER RATINGS
Derby: Carson 7, Keogh 7, Davies 9, Forsyth 8, Wisdom 7, Huddlestone 8, Johnson 7, Weimann 7, Vydra 6, Lawrence 7, Jerome 8. Subs: Anya 7, Hanson N/A, Nugent 6.
Fulham: Bettinelli 6, Fredericks 6, Sessegnon 5, Odoi 7, McDonald 6, Johansen 6, Cairney 6, Ayite 6, Ream 6, Targett 6, Mitrovic 6. Subs: Kebano 5, Norwood N/A, Piazon 5.
KEY MOMENTS
34’ – GOAL! Derby 1-0 Fulham: The Rams are rewarded for their bright start with a goal. And what a goal. A quality delivery is swung in from Forsyth from the right flank, picking out Jerome. He leaps like a salmon and arrows his header into the corner, leaving Bettinelli with no chance.
54’ - CROSSBAR! Agonisingly close to a Fulham equaliser! Mitrovic tees up McDonald and his venomous shot cannons off the top of the crossbar. What an effort.
55’ - MISS! Another Fulham chance goes begging! Johansen cuts the Derby defence open with a delightful through-pass, Ayite tries to side-foot it in first-time but he leans back and scoops his shot over the bar with just the goalkeeper to beat.
89' - SO CLOSE! Great effort from Cairney but he doesn't quite get enough bend in his shot as the ball drifts agonisingly wide. Carson was beaten.
KEY STATS
- Derby have lost just two of their past 13 home games against Fulham in all competitions (W7 D3).
- The team to finish sixth in the Championship has won promotion via the play-offs in just one of the past 12 seasons - Blackpool in 2009-10.
- The side to finish third in the second tier has won promotion through the play-offs (current format) on 10 occasions (34%), more than any other position.
- This is Derby's seventh venture into the second-tier play-offs, only Ipswich Town (8) have taken part in more. They have only won promotion once in those previous six seasons in the second-tier play-offs (in 2006-07).
- Fulham are competing in the Championship play-offs for the second consecutive season after losing out to Reading in the semi-finals last term. The Whites have failed to win promotion in all three of their previous seasons in the play-offs in the English Football League (also 1988-89 and 1997-98).
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