Tag Archives: Jamie Ward

14th April – Rams in Seasiders Stroll

15 Wednesday Apr 2015

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14th April

Derby County     4         Craig Bryson 3, Tom Ince 28, Darren Bent 29, 65(pen)

Blackpool            0

This proved to be just the game we needed after recent disappointments and frustrations.

A relegated Blackpool suffering the kind of off-field traumas to draw the sympathies of right minded football fans everywhere put up minimal resistance and also created one of the goals for us along the way as the Rams sauntered to a 4-0 win.

The match was played on a beautiful spring evening and the warm sunshine that bathed the iPro was a joy to behold. Pitchside the temperature was positively balmy and had me thinking idly what is must be like to watch your football in La Liga as I considered the latest changes to a Rams starting line up.

Four changes today as Zak Whitbread, Ryan Shotton, Simon Dawkins and Jesse Lingard started replacing Raul Albentosa, Craig Forsyth, Johnny Russell and Chris Martin.

Another new back four line up for this game with Richard Keogh moving back to centre half alongside Whitbread, Shotton returning to right back and Stephen Warnock carrying on at left back.

Blackpool posed little threat and were poor ( not that this has stopped us struggling before) but before the value of the clean sheet we earned is this game is totally written off it should be remembered that the Seasiders only lost 2-3 to Ipswich Town last Saturday, the Tractor Boys needing a last minute winner to seal the win.

As has been the case for a few games we started well on the front foot. Unlike recent games though, we scored an early goal which set the tone for the rest of the game.

Craig Bryson picked up the ball in midfield in the third minute and pressed forward unchallenged to the edge of the area letting fly with a strong, but bobbling shot that evaded keeper and Elliot Parish and hit the net.

Bryson’s celebration was very obvious and very pointed “shhhhhh” to all comers which suggests that all is not well with the midfielder, though this is no surprise to us who have seen but a shadow of the player who bagged 16 goals for us last season.

Tom Ince was busy and threatening and a lovely shimmy on the quarter hour saw him free up space and shoot over. His “I’m not celebrating “goal celebration was not long delayed however as he put us 2-0 up on 28 minutes.

For want of a better description our second goal was created by Ryan Shotton’s fake long throw as he gave every impression of preparing to fling the ball into the area but instead went short to Ince who dropped a shoulder, lost a defender and deliciously passed the ball into the far corner for his eighth goal of his loan spell.

Our third goal took a further 30 seconds or so to arrive as Blackpool kicked off and Charles Dunne catastrophically misjudged his pass to Darren O’Dea and served only to play in Darren Bent who gleefully slotted home to make it 3-0.

The relaxed air around the game made it easy for Rams fans to express our support for the hardy band of around 100 Blackpool fans who had made the trip south. Numerous chants inviting Karl Oyston to take his leave from the club were aired as well as the amusing “Oyston for Forest”

It was good to see us support fellow fans who have seen their club abused by those who have a responsibility to run the club and set up for relegation even before the season had started.

To read some of the Twitter reactions of Blackpool fans after the game was genuinely heart warming as shivers of recognition when thinking back to our own traumas of the past.

The second half was routine, even including our efforts to gift Blackpool a goal. Jesse Lingard skied a very good chance but looked threatening and, to be honest, seems to offer us more at the moment than the lion hearted Johnny Russell.

Ryan Shotton earned the fourth goal, fouled in the area as he rampaged along and Darren Bent walloped the resulting penalty into the top corner for his twelfth goal since January – an impressive return considering that we are still working out how best to play to his strengths.

I was a little concerned at Jeff Hendrick’s substitution – some bellowed exchanges with Paul Simpson preceded the change and to me he seemed to be gingerly holding his side / stomach as he left the pitch.

Surely not another injury?

I was pleased to see Zak Whitbread play and feel he offers us some defensive know how allied to an ability to play a decent pass. Yes, the opposition was poor but Ryan Shotton played well and Stephen Warnock looked much less ragged than on Saturday.

Jamie Ward made a late appearance and almost managed to start a fight when going in hard on one of the Blackpool players, A frustrated Peter Clarke looked like he wanted to punch someone, anyone, he did not seem too fussed, in response.

You can always rely on Jamie to add a little niggle to proceedings.

After the game Steve McClaren, when explaining the absence of Chris Martin, said that our iconic number nine had experienced “a setback” in training.

Considering our luck this season when it comes to injuries “a setback” could mean anything from a stubbed toe to having been abducted by aliens who have promised to bring him back in “2-4 weeks”

Hopefully he will return (again) soon.

As is traditional in recent weeks every team above us in the league that was playing won their games meaning that fifth place is looking about as good as it will get for us this season.

Another spin at the playoffs is not to be scorned but we need to recover the momentum and form that took us higher in the league against opponents who will not be as obliging as Blackpool were.

Played GD Pts
1. AFC Bournemouth 43 +47 83
2. Norwich City 43 +39 82
3. Middlesbrough 43 +31 81
4. Watford 42 +36 79
5. Derby County 43 +32 75
6. Ipswich Town 43 +18 74
7. Brentford 43 +14 71
8. Wolves 43 +11 71

14th March – Rams dig deep for crucial point as Bruiser takes a bow

14 Saturday Mar 2015

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14th March

Norwich City     1          Cameron Jerome 31

Derby County    1          John Ruddy (o.g.) 66

Sometimes a point is a bitter disappointment.

Last Saturday, for instance.

Sometime a point is a terrific result.

Today, for instance.

On the back of three disappointing results and visiting the division’s form team with a squad diminished by injury the Rams did very well to take a point, a point that may just be crucial come the season’s end.

Pre game discussion inevitably centred upon Jamie Hanson’s first team debut, one of two changes to the team that played Birmingham last week.

A Friday training injury to Omar Mascarell enabled the impressive academy player to step into the defensive midfield position that is so important to our style of play.

And how well he played in such a crucial game. Initially the Norwich midfield dominated but as the game went on Hanson got more involved and showed he is a player of poise and promise.

Talk in the week of either or both of George Thorne and Chris Martin being involved in some way proved not to be the case and what once felt like a deep squad is starting to look skimpy as injuries take their toll.

Our other change was a swap with Ryan Shotton coming in at right back for Cyrus Christie, a change happening increasingly regularly for away games, presumably for greater defensive solidity offered by the former Stoke City defender.

The hosts dominated possession in the early periods of the game without creating any clear cut chances and the Rams worked hard with players tracking back. There were notable defensive interventions from both Johnny Russell and Jamie Ward.

Rams had a spell of greater possession from 25 minutes or so in with Hughes and Ward featuring and looking to create something. Our only decent attempt on goal at this time came with a Will Hughes shot going over.

Just as it felt as if we had subdued the hosts, Cameron Jerome gave them the lead on 31 mins after Hoolohan and Olsson combined well to get behind our line and set up the big striker for a tap in.

Good work by Johnny Russell after a quickly taken free kick on 40 minutes almost created a chance for the Rams, the opportunity just failing for the lack of someone to tap the ball in, the hosts clearing away from danger.

With results in other games going against us we needed a big second half and the Rams started promisingly, again without really creating any clear cut chances, but nearly were authors of our own downfall in giving away a needless corner on 55 minutes after a phase of messing around with the ball in defence.

Jamie Hanson lived up to his nickname of “bruiser” after a clash of heads with Alexander Tetty left the Norwich man prone on the turf and gained the debutant a Terry Butcher tribute head bandage.

It was our debutant that created our equaliser from an unexpected source, John Ruddy turned around a Tom Ince shot round for a corner. Jamie Hanson’s corner was then bundled into the net by Ruddy to bring us level. The credit for the goal may go to the Norwich keeper but in spirit this was a debut goal for Hanson.

Johnny Russell worked as hard as ever throughout the game, proving to be a nuisance, he struggled to find threatening positions with the ball but his work rate off the ball was as terrific as ever and he kept the Canaries defence occupied throughout.

Jamie Ward was similarly hard working and committed and it is good to see him getting back to his early season form.

Until they started lumping the ball forward towards the end of the game the Canaries were subdued for much of the second half and credit to the Rams for that. However it took a superb save from Lee Grant, keeping out a Jerome free header from no more than six yards, followed up by great save even later in the game from a shot from Norwich substitute Gary Hooper to preserve this point.

This was a good gritty and pleasing performance from the Rams in the second half, disciplined and organised.

As if we did not have enough injuries to worry about Johnny Russell took a kick to the face from the already booked Russell Martin that left blood splattered all over his face and questions being asked about why his Scottish international team mate did not get his marching orders.

Steve McClaren mused afterwards that JR has a broken nose so we can look forward to another outing for the phantom of the opera mask soon.

Raul Albentosa is looking increasingly at home and made a crucial tackle to stop Gary Hooper late on – the defensive strength we so crave could well be resting on his shoulders.

This Norwich team has by far the strongest squad at its disposal in this league and have easily been the best team I’ve seen at the iPro this season, so for us to emerge from Carrow Road with a point is a big boost at a time of the season when both the injuries and the worries have been piling up.

Played GD Pts
1. AFC Bournemouth 37 +39 69
2. Watford 37 +31 69
3. Middlesbrough 37 +31 69
4. Derby County 37 +29 67
5. Norwich City 37 +31 66
6. Brentford 37 +11 62

       

31st January – On song Rams give Cardiff the blues

01 Sunday Feb 2015

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31st January

Cardiff City                    0           

Derby County                2         Scott Malone (o.g.) 23, Chris Martin 45 

      

Having seen both Bournemouth and Middlesbrough win before we kicked off this was an important three points for the Rams to bring home from the Welsh capital.

Remembering back to the summer the Bluebirds were seen as being one of our key competitors for promotion this season. Despite the Premier League parachute payment though, the Welsh team have struggled back in the second tier and in this game looked like the mid table team that they are.

Games still need to be won, however, and this was a pleasing performance by Derby to do so, backed by a loud and raucous following of travelling fans. 

No changes were made to the team that beat Blackburn though a hamstring injury suffered by Raul Albentosa in training kept him off the bench being replaced by his countryman Ivan Calero.

The Rams started brightly, keeping the ball well and moving it around quickly which is always an obvious sign of the mood and confidence of the team.

We got the benefit of an early penalty as Martin went down during a corner for the Rams when the ball was pinging around the Cardiff area – as penalties went it was on the soft side, had it gone against us I would not have been happy.

Chris Martin missed the spot kick though putting his attempt too close to the keeper allowing Simon Moore to push it away. 

This team of ours has resilience though, evidenced by the response to that disappointing (to say the least) Forest defeat – two wins and two clean sheets coming in to this game – and also overcoming the missed penalty.

Both Simon Dawkins and Jamie Ward were playing well , both probably benefitting from more match time and it was Ward that received the ball in the 22nd minute following a lovely intricate move involving Hughes ,Hendrick and Martin, and his beautifully judged ball led to Scott Malone diverting past his own keeper for an own goal.

The home team were not offering much by way of a threat at all though Lee Grant and Jake Buxton gave the loud and bouncing Rams contingent a fright on 35 minutes by almost leaving a ball to each other as it was played through.

That was one of the last acts in this game for our rugged centre half as Buxton turned his ankle shortly afterwards and the normally indestructible Buckobauer was forced off after trying to run it off.

A shuffle of the defence ensued with Cyrus Christie coming on and Ryan Shotton moving across and Christie was instrumental in a perfectly timed second goal just before the break.

Another sweet passing move involving Jeff Hendrick, Chris Martin, Craig Forsyth & Will Hughes freed up Christie on the flank and he put in a superb deep cross that Martin connected with, thundering a header in to the top of the net to make it 2-0.

It had been an excellent first half performance, that second goal importantly emphasising our dominance and putting Cardiff in a very difficult position.

The second half started steadily with few opportunities at either end. After a sprightly first half Dawkins limped off on the hour to be replaced by Mason Bennett and it is to be hoped that his comeback to the team is not to be interrupted again, particularly considering our shortage of options in the wide areas of the team.

Cardiff bought on Kenwyn Jones just after the hour and he had barely been on the pitch a couple of minutes before his header brought out a great save from Lee Grant. Our keeper is having an excellent season and in the last couple of weeks alone he has made superb saves in games where he has not had much to do, always a good sign of keeping focus.

The closest we came to a third goal was when a characteristic pass from Hughes released Bennett in the area but a poor bounce held the ball up allowing keeper to make a save.

Three important points then with a comfortable win though it was interesting to hear Steve McClaren’s expressing his disappointment that we did not kick on in the second half – high standards in our coaching staff bodes well for the rest of the season.

The end of January sees us 2nd with 54 points from 28 games played.

This time last year Leicester City were at the top of the table with 66 points from one more game – QPR second with 56pts from 28 games.

With no team as far ahead as Leicester this year it is a fair bet that 90pts will secure automatic promotion – 36 more points then in our last 18 games.

Those games will start count down before we know it so wins like today are crucial and very welcome.