Leeds United v Derby County A

A FEW eyebrows were raised when Nigel Clough asserted that Derby County were one of a dozen teams capable of challenging for a place in the Championship play-offs.

Over-confidence? Too much faith in a group of players who underachieved last season, bolstered with only kids and an aging left-back from Doncaster Rovers? Not a bit of it.

There was a sense of the inevitable from the moment the Rams boss made his players walk the final 500 yards to Elland Road through crowds of Leeds United fans outside the ground.

That statement of intent said "we’re not intimidated by you or this place — we mean business".

And determined Derby, playing the attractive football of pre-season, flew out of the blocks and took the lead through former Leeds striker Rob Hulse.

After the home side equalised through Luciano Becchio following a mix-up between Robbie Savage and Russell Anderson, Kris Commons buried a penalty - albeit a dodgy one - to regain the lead and ultimately take the three points.

Although Leeds had chances and hit the woodwork, the Rams would have had three more were it not for the excellence of Kasper Schmeichel.

Not since the first game of the 1964/65 season when they beat Crystal Palace 3-2 have Derby won away on the opening day of the season - an amazing wait of 46 years.

And this win will surely make the doubters sit up and take notice of the Rams class of 2010/11.

Clough stuck with the 4-2-3-1 formation which served Derby so well in pre-season, with Savage and James Bailey sitting deep and protecting the back four behind an attacking three of Tomasz Cywka, Green and Commons. Hulse was preferred to Chris Porter up front.

Debuts were handed to John Brayford, Gareth Roberts and Bailey following their summer moves. Shaun Barker was a surprise inclusion on the bench.

Leeds, meanwhile, handed debuts to Schmeichel, former Ram Paul Connolly, Neill Collins, Federico Bessone, Sanchez Watt and Lloyd Sam, lining up in a 4-5-1 formation.

Both sides started brightly and Commons could have given the Rams the lead after just a minute when he picked up Bailey’s excellent pass, beat two defenders and hit an 18-yard drive just over the bar.

Leeds hit back on nine minutes, with Collins heading across goal from Neil Kilkenny’s superb cross.

Hulse then grabbed the opening goal after another flowing move from Derby.

Green, industrious as ever, robbed Jonathan Howson in midfield and charged forward before laying the ball off to Hulse.

The big striker took a touch before rifling the ball past Schmeichel from 15 yards.

Just when the visitors needed to stay calm they dallied at the back as Leeds equalised within three minutes.

Anderson took too long on the ball and when Savage tried to help out, Howson Commons spot on to secure perfect start to the season Cywka got into the box on the end of a Green pass and went down under the challenge of Bessone. Referee Neil Swarbrick had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, to the disgust of the Leeds players. It looked soft, but Commons sent Schmeichel the wrong way with a clever kick.

Leeds then hit the bar again as the giant Collins headed another Kilkenny freekick down and up against the woodwork.

The Rams had ridden their luck but should have made it 3-1 on 36 minutes.

Collins, not a centre-half who is comfortable on the ball, gave it away to Commons and the Derby playmaker found nicked it and beat the pair of them before squaring in the box to the unmarked Becchio, who tapped in from 10 yards with Stephen Bywater helpless.

Despite this setback, the Rams continued to play patient, passing football, with the outstanding Bailey showing off his range of passing.

Green burst into the box on 22 minutes but his pull-back missed everyone.

A minute later, home skipper Richard Naylor hit the top of the bar with a flicked shot from Kilkenny’s dangerous free-kick.

But just as Leeds were looking dangerous, Derby hit back and regained the lead.
 Green. He attempted to place the ball past Schmeichel but the keeper pulled off an excellent save.

On the stroke of half-time, the Leeds No.1 made an even better stop from Commons when it looked a certain goal.

Savage’s free-kick, following a foul on Commons, found the former Nottingam Forest man deep in the box and unmarked. But his low show was blocked by Schmeichel.

Barker made his entrance at half-time as Anderson was struggling with a groin problem and was immediately dominant in the air and on the ground, showing just why he is so vital to everything Derby do.

Following some poor long-range efforts from the ineffective Bradley Johnson, Savage was somewhat fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty on 57 minutes when the ball struck his arm in the box. But Mr Swarbrick waved away the appeals to howls of derision from the home fans.

A minute later, Schmeichel, looking every inch a top keeper, pulled off the save of the match. Green got onto a Hulse knock-down and with Leeds appealing for offside, hit a low shot which Schmeichel somehow managed to block.

Leeds enjoyed a spell of pressure which culminated in Kilkenny forcing Bywater to make a solid save with a shot from the edge of the area.

On 75 minutes, Schmeichel again saved Leeds with a double stop of real quality.

First, he blocked Hulse’s powerful low shot and as Barker looked like tapping in the rebound, got to his feet and turned his shot away for a corner.

There were no further clear-cut chances for either side as Derby saw out the game, with Barker marshalling the back four superbly and covering for Dean Leacock, who bravely struggled with a heavy knock for 45 minutes.