Match Report: Bristol Rovers 0-3 Derby County – Blog

The Rams also equalled a club record with 12 away wins in the league recorded in a season with another three points on their travels.

Key Moments

The Rams were well on top in the early stages and had the hosts penned in their own half for much of the opening 10 minutes.

There was a strong shout for a penalty when captain Conor Hourihane’s corner looked to have clipped the arm of a Bristol Rovers defender and minutes later Curtis Nelson was inches away from connecting with Joe Ward’s dangerous cross from the right.

Forward Nathaniel Mendez-Laing tried his luck from the edge of the area after cutting in from the left, but his effort curled just wide of Jed Ward’s post.

The Rams had the ball in the net through Gayle after 30 minutes but celebrations were immediately halted by the linesman whose flag was raised on Louie Sibley who was adjudged to have gone a little early prior to playing the ball to Gayle.

Derby started the better after the restart, as they did in the first half, and were inches away from taking the lead when defender Eiran Cashin’s header was deflected over the bar for a corner.

But it was from that the corner that the Rams did eventually take a deserved lead. A corner was half-cleared to Barkhuizen, whose first time effort was brilliantly kept out by Ward but Gayle followed in to bundle the rebound over the line and put Derby in front.

And within two minutes it was two. Mendez-Laing got away from his man down the left and laid the ball on a plate for Barkhuizen who fired an exquisite effort first-time beyond Ward and into the roof of the net.

Going two goals behind seemed to wake the hosts up and Anthony Evans went close when his long-range effort looped just over the bar of goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith.

The Gas then got even closer to halving the deficit through former Celtic forward Scott Sinclair. The experienced winger got on the end of a through ball and rounded Wildsmith but saw his goalbound effort cleared off the line by the retreating Cashin.

Up the other end and the Rams very nearly added a third following an incredible scramble from a corner. Defender Sonny Bradley did brilliantly to keep the ball alive when he nodded back across goal for Waghorn, who had just come off the bench. Waghorn saw his effort heroically blocked on the line before Cashin followed in for the the rebound and was again denied on the line.

Substitute Korey Smith was close to adding a rare goal to his catalogue when he got on the end of a Barkhuizen pull-back, but he saw his goalbound effort brilliantly blocked by a defender.

Gas substitute John Marquis should have halved the deficit with ten minutes remaining but he headed straight at Wildsmith from six yards out.

The Rams had a golden opportunity to kill the game with five minutes remaining after they found themselves two-on-one with the Bristol back-line. Mendez-Laing laid the ball on a plate for Waghorn, but the latter blazed over the bar.

But Waghorn did get his goal in the final minute of normal time. Smith did brilliantly to intercept a loose ball and drove forward before crossing for Waghorn who tapped into an empty net from close range to seal a vital three points for the Rams on the road.

The Teams

Bristol Rovers: Ward (GK), Gordon (73′ Brown), Finley (C) (79′ Marquis), Sinclair, Taylor, Martin, Vale, Evans, Conteh, Baggott, Hoole.

Substitutes not used: Vaughan (GK), Connolly, Grant, Cox, Crama.

Derby County: Wildsmith (GK), Hourihane (C) (90′ Thompson), Bradley, Cashin, Barkhuizen (83′ Wilson), Mendez-Laing (90′ Blackett-Taylor), Sibley, Ward, Gayle (73′ Waghorn), Adams (73′ Smith), Nelson.

Substitutes not used: Loach (GK), Robinson.

What’s Next Up?

The Rams return home on Tuesday evening when they welcome Reading to Pride Park in Sky Bet League One (7:45pm kick-off).