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From The Sunday Times
January 27, 2008
Derby 1 Preston 4
Jeremy Cross at Pride Park
Paul Jewell admitted he had run out of excuses for Derby County in the wake of their pitiful home defeat to Championship strugglers Preston North End at Pride Park. Before stunned home supporters, the Premier League side found themselves three goals down before half-time courtesy of some comical defending. The grateful recipients of Derby’s generosity were Simon Whaley and Karl Hawley, who helped himself to a brace of goals.
Derby substitute Robert Earnshaw pulled a goal back after the interval but the home side’s misery and humiliation was complete in stoppage time when Lewin Nyatanga tripped substitute Neil Mellor to receive a straight red card.
All Mellor had to do was pick himself up and convert the subsequent penalty past Rams goalkeeper Lewis Price to leave Jewell shaking his head in total disgust. A cup run could have worked wonders for Derby’s shattered confidence but, as it is, Jewell is still waiting for his first regulation victory since taking charge 12 games ago.
He said: “It beggars belief some of the mistakes we made. I’ve been saying the same things since I came here. We make a mistake and fall apart. Once things go against us that’s it, it’s all over.
“I’m at a loss to explain it. I see the players train through the week and they become different people when they cross that white line. If I’d have paid to watch that, like the supporters, I’d have been booing us as well. The fans pay with hard-earned cash and are well within their right to act that way. We are just not good enough.” The afternoon had started on such a positive note for the home side when, before kickoff, chairman Adam Pearson confirmed shareholders had approved an agreement with American investors for them to takeover the club in a deal understood to be worth in the region of £70m.
The identity of those involved has not been disclosed and will be revealed at a news conference tomorrow, but Pearson admitted the takeover brought with it no debt and would secure the financial future of the club.
Such feelings of optimism had been replaced by ones of total despair before half-time, however, as Derby took the lead role in what had become a self-inflicted nightmare. “As long as the deal was signed before kickoff, then we should be alright,” quipped Jewell. Two goals from Hawley and a third from Whaley had left the home side’s hopes of a cup run in tatters, along with their reputation.
Jewell’s players were booed off and then on again either side of the interval. Claude Davis was even singled out for personal abuse from his own supporters as the home defence gifted Preston an unassailable lead. Jewell had placed great importance on this fixture, given that a victory offered his troops the rare chance of gaining some much-needed momentum. He named a full-strength side that included Argentinian forward Emanuel Villa following his recent £2m arrival from Mexican side UAG Tecos, yet once again Derby found themselves in a hole when Preston took the lead inside 13 minutes.
Jewell has failed to hide his disgust at some of Derby’s defending in recent weeks and was left shaking his head once again when Andy Todd dithered without reason, allowing Chris Brown to dispossess him and charge to the byline before pulling the ball back for Hawley to add the simple finish past a helpless Price.
Moments later Paul McKenna blazed a powerful strike over the crossbar as the visitors began to look the stronger team. Lacking cohesion and width, the home side looked exactly what they were – a team depressingly short on confidence and ideas. Jewell’s players were squabbling among themselves within half an hour, which didn’t bode well for home supporters. Neither did the fact it took Derby the same length of time to threaten the Preston goal and even then it was an ambitious free kick from Robbie Savage that curled wide.
Derby’s misery was made worse in the 32nd minute when Preston doubled their advantage with a well constructed goal. There was, of course, the obligatory help from Derby’s defence as Nyatanga surrendered possession easily. Hawley set off towards goal and fed the supporting Darren Carter, who in turn found the unmarked Whaley and the midfielder kept his calm before curling a delightful finish into the bottom corner.
Derby’s incompetence almost beggared belief and was duly punished when Hawley placed a superb shot into the bottom corner for his second of the game on the stroke of half-time. Derby’s embarrassment was complete. Substitute Robert Earnshaw’s consolation goal in the 54th minute made little difference.
Preston manager Alan Irvine said: “I never ever imagined we’d be three goals up before half-time. We are delighted.
“It’s fantastic to win games and although it might have looked easy, it certainly didn’t feel like that.”
Player ratings: Derby: Price 6, Edworthy 4, Davis 4, Todd 5 (Barnes h-t, 7), Nyatanga 4, Ghaly 7, Savage 8, Pearson 6, Lewis 6 (Teale 24min, 6), Miller 6, Villa 6 (Earnshaw h-t, 6)
Preston: Lonergan 7, St Ledger 7, Mawene 7, Chilvers 7, Davidson 6 (Hill h-t, 6), Sedgwick 7, McKenna 7, Carter 7, Whaley 7 (Nicholls 85min), Brown 7, Hawley 8 (Mellor 85min)
Star Man: Karl Hawley (Preston)
Scorers: Derby: Earnshaw 55 Preston: Hawley 14, 45, Whaley 33, Mellor 90 pen
Yellow cards: Derby: Pearson Preston: Sedgwick
Referee: L Probert
Attendance: 17,344
January 27, 2008
Derby 1 Preston 4
Jeremy Cross at Pride Park
Paul Jewell admitted he had run out of excuses for Derby County in the wake of their pitiful home defeat to Championship strugglers Preston North End at Pride Park. Before stunned home supporters, the Premier League side found themselves three goals down before half-time courtesy of some comical defending. The grateful recipients of Derby’s generosity were Simon Whaley and Karl Hawley, who helped himself to a brace of goals.
Derby substitute Robert Earnshaw pulled a goal back after the interval but the home side’s misery and humiliation was complete in stoppage time when Lewin Nyatanga tripped substitute Neil Mellor to receive a straight red card.
All Mellor had to do was pick himself up and convert the subsequent penalty past Rams goalkeeper Lewis Price to leave Jewell shaking his head in total disgust. A cup run could have worked wonders for Derby’s shattered confidence but, as it is, Jewell is still waiting for his first regulation victory since taking charge 12 games ago.
He said: “It beggars belief some of the mistakes we made. I’ve been saying the same things since I came here. We make a mistake and fall apart. Once things go against us that’s it, it’s all over.
“I’m at a loss to explain it. I see the players train through the week and they become different people when they cross that white line. If I’d have paid to watch that, like the supporters, I’d have been booing us as well. The fans pay with hard-earned cash and are well within their right to act that way. We are just not good enough.” The afternoon had started on such a positive note for the home side when, before kickoff, chairman Adam Pearson confirmed shareholders had approved an agreement with American investors for them to takeover the club in a deal understood to be worth in the region of £70m.
The identity of those involved has not been disclosed and will be revealed at a news conference tomorrow, but Pearson admitted the takeover brought with it no debt and would secure the financial future of the club.
Such feelings of optimism had been replaced by ones of total despair before half-time, however, as Derby took the lead role in what had become a self-inflicted nightmare. “As long as the deal was signed before kickoff, then we should be alright,” quipped Jewell. Two goals from Hawley and a third from Whaley had left the home side’s hopes of a cup run in tatters, along with their reputation.
Jewell’s players were booed off and then on again either side of the interval. Claude Davis was even singled out for personal abuse from his own supporters as the home defence gifted Preston an unassailable lead. Jewell had placed great importance on this fixture, given that a victory offered his troops the rare chance of gaining some much-needed momentum. He named a full-strength side that included Argentinian forward Emanuel Villa following his recent £2m arrival from Mexican side UAG Tecos, yet once again Derby found themselves in a hole when Preston took the lead inside 13 minutes.
Jewell has failed to hide his disgust at some of Derby’s defending in recent weeks and was left shaking his head once again when Andy Todd dithered without reason, allowing Chris Brown to dispossess him and charge to the byline before pulling the ball back for Hawley to add the simple finish past a helpless Price.
Moments later Paul McKenna blazed a powerful strike over the crossbar as the visitors began to look the stronger team. Lacking cohesion and width, the home side looked exactly what they were – a team depressingly short on confidence and ideas. Jewell’s players were squabbling among themselves within half an hour, which didn’t bode well for home supporters. Neither did the fact it took Derby the same length of time to threaten the Preston goal and even then it was an ambitious free kick from Robbie Savage that curled wide.
Derby’s misery was made worse in the 32nd minute when Preston doubled their advantage with a well constructed goal. There was, of course, the obligatory help from Derby’s defence as Nyatanga surrendered possession easily. Hawley set off towards goal and fed the supporting Darren Carter, who in turn found the unmarked Whaley and the midfielder kept his calm before curling a delightful finish into the bottom corner.
Derby’s incompetence almost beggared belief and was duly punished when Hawley placed a superb shot into the bottom corner for his second of the game on the stroke of half-time. Derby’s embarrassment was complete. Substitute Robert Earnshaw’s consolation goal in the 54th minute made little difference.
Preston manager Alan Irvine said: “I never ever imagined we’d be three goals up before half-time. We are delighted.
“It’s fantastic to win games and although it might have looked easy, it certainly didn’t feel like that.”
Player ratings: Derby: Price 6, Edworthy 4, Davis 4, Todd 5 (Barnes h-t, 7), Nyatanga 4, Ghaly 7, Savage 8, Pearson 6, Lewis 6 (Teale 24min, 6), Miller 6, Villa 6 (Earnshaw h-t, 6)
Preston: Lonergan 7, St Ledger 7, Mawene 7, Chilvers 7, Davidson 6 (Hill h-t, 6), Sedgwick 7, McKenna 7, Carter 7, Whaley 7 (Nicholls 85min), Brown 7, Hawley 8 (Mellor 85min)
Star Man: Karl Hawley (Preston)
Scorers: Derby: Earnshaw 55 Preston: Hawley 14, 45, Whaley 33, Mellor 90 pen
Yellow cards: Derby: Pearson Preston: Sedgwick
Referee: L Probert
Attendance: 17,344