Derby County 2 Swansea City 1: match report
Read a full match report of the Championship game between Derby County and Swansea City at Pride Park on Saturday March 12 2011.
Making his point: Steven Davies celebrates after scoring the decisive goal in Derby's win Photo: REUTERS
By David McVay 6:08PM GMT 13 Mar 2011
The statue of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor close to Pride Park’s main entrance has frustrating symbolism for Derby County.
For while the bronze tribute to the managerial team who guided Derby to their most famous triumphs in the 1970s keeps those glory days fresh in the memory, it also underlines how far the club has fallen. Once home to the leading club in the country, this football city will surely never enjoy such success again.
Clough’s son Nigel is shackled with the task of restoring some stability to the club and, while he has chosen lately to avoid the limelight his father so embraced, his sombre presence seems to be working.
He shunned photographers in the dugout and sent his coach Johnny Metgod, a former Nottingham Forest team-mate, to host the post-match media conference after this victory.
The win was Derby’s first at home since Nov 20 when they beat Scunthorpe to retain fourth place in the table. More than three months on, these three points have most likely secured their Championship status while the Welsh side departed still as leading promotion contenders despite a week in which they gleaned only one point from three matches.
According to the Derby board, Clough’s tenure has always been secure but his despondency has been self-inflicted during a sequence of two wins in 18 games before the weekend.
His players have responded positively, however, none more so than Steven Davies whose headed goal, his third in four games, doubled Derby’s advantage after Ashley Williams’ howler of an own goal. Darren Pratley reduced the arrears to no avail.
“The manager said if I could get myself fit and scoring goals then I’d be here for a long time,” said Davies, who has been offered a one-year contract extension sicne recovering from cruciate ligament damage. He ran towards his private box to celebrate his goal.
“My wife and two kids and mum and dad were there so it was a thank-you to them for putting up with me. I’ve been a nightmare for the past two years. I took everything out on them yet they are the ones you go home to and the ones who keep you sane.”
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