Derby County player ratings v Millwall as late winner shatters Rams hearts amid big David Ozoh worry
by Leigh Curtis · Derbyshire LiveJosh Coburn put Derby County in further relegation danger as his stoppage-time goal sealed a 1-0 win for Millwall at Pride Park.
The striker pounced at the back post after good work from Aidomo Emakhu to leave Pride Park stunned into silence with Derby now four points adrift of safety.
The visitors immediately screamed for a penalty, but referee Elliot Bell was not interested in their appeals and pointed to a goal-kick, much to Derby's relief.
Derby had attempted to find some rhythm but it was Alex Neil's side who were offering a threat going forward with Joe Bryan striking wide of the target from 25 yards.
Eustace's side eventually started to find some joy in possession 10 minutes before half-time with their best effort coming when Kenzo Goudmijn crossed for Ebou Adams, who headed wide of the post. Lars-Jorgen Salvesen then saw a cross into the front post cleared as Jerry Yates lurked, which encouraged Derby fans in the South Stand.
Derby then went within a whisker of taking the lead when a corner was met by Clarke, whose header hit the underside of the bar, came down and hit a defender on the back and landed in the arms of Lukas Jensen.
Jacob Widell Zetterstrom had to come to Derby's rescue to save a penalty from Coburn after he was brought down by Sondre Langas, but the Sweden international was later beaten when Coburn pounced at the back post.
Rams player ratings...
Jacob Widell Zetterstrom: Didn't have anything to do in the first half as the game was largely fought out in the centre of midfield. Kicking was okay when called upon. Made a fine save for the penalty. 7
Ryan Nyambe: Played in the heart of the back three and in the one v one battles he did fine. Repelled a couple of Millwall attacks and he always appears to be switched on. 6
Sondre Langas: Derby's issues have never been surrounding their defence which, apart from a 4-0 thumping at QPR, has always looked very solid. It was back to business here. They got rescued for the penalty and gave the ball away in build-up to Millwall's winner. 4.5
Matt Clarke: Referee made the correct decision over the penalty when it was claimed he had clipped Tanganga. Did okay. So unlucky with a header that hit the bar. Went off injured. 6
Kayden Jackson: Played at wing-back and there was only one moment in the first half when he produced a cross that sailed over everybody's head. Carried more of a threat after the break. 5
Ben Osborn: Wing-back is not his best position but with Callum Elder injured, he is perhaps the next best option. Struggled with some parts of his game. Raced through in the second half, but just didn't have the pace to make the most of the chance. 5
David Ozoh: The on-loan Crystal Palace midfielder showed real strength in the one v one exchanges and was happy to take the ball in tight spaces. At least showed some fight. Sadly went off with what looked to be a bad injury. 6.5
Ebou Adams: Was made captain and the midfielder was always involved in the thick of the action be it winning fouls or tackles. Also had a header wide of the target. 7
Kenzo Goudmijn: Never really got into the game even though he tried to pick up space in between the lines. Derby couldn't find him and contribution in an attacking sense was minimal. 4.5
Jerry Yates: When he did pick the ball up, it tended to be in areas where he couldn't really hurt Millwall in an attacking sense. Need to find a way of unlocking his prowess the other way. 5
Lars-Jorgen Salvesen: The striker tried to get involved as best he could but service wasn't really coming from the wing-backs and it was a hard afternoon for the front two. 5
Substitutes
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (Salvesen 65): Had a glorious chance in a late break but chose the wrong option. 5
Tom Barkhuizen (Jackson 65): Showed some promise. 5
Marcus Harness (Goudmijn 66): Couple of neat touches. 5
Craig Forsyth (Clarke 74): Helped keep a clean sheet. Well, almost. 5
Kemar Roofe (Ozoh 87): Barely enough time to make an impression. N/A
Who was your man of the match? Have your say HERE
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