Derby County’s first season back in League One has proved to be quite the rollercoaster to date - and it’s still only September.
After suffering relegation to England’s third tier for the first time since 1986 and facing a complete rebuild during the summer after exiting administration, it was always going to be that way.
Here’s a quick look at the season so far as new Head Coach Paul Warne prepares for his first game in charge when the Rams head to Cambridge United on Saturday afternoon…
Derby County 1-0 Oxford United – 30th July 2022
Sky Bet League One
Derby started the season earlier than usual at the end of July but kicked off in the perfect fashion - with three points on the board.
After a mass summer overhaul and seven new faces lining up to start the game, ring-rust would have been understandable but the togetherness that saw them very nearly survive in the Championship last term remained all the same with relationships already showing signs of developing so early on.
Some 31,000 fans packed themselves inside Pride Park Stadium for a game in the third tier of English football and a dominant performance was finally rewarded late on when one of those seven debutants, Conor Hourihane, slotted home expertly from the edge of the box late on.
Charlton Athletic 1-0 Derby County – 6th August 2022
League One
The first away trip of the season brought with it a trip to London and a first loss of the season for the Rams.
It was an afternoon of frustration as Derby dominated the majority of the game – particularly the first-half with James Collins, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Korey Smith all going close.
The Rams were made to pay for their missed chances early in the second-half when Corey Blackett-Taylor poked home following an initial save from Joe Wildsmith.
It may have ended in defeat but there were plenty of positives to take and expectations were still high for the season ahead.
Mansfield Town 1-2 Derby County – 9th August 2022
Carabao Cup – Round One
Round One of the Carabao Cup was next up away at League Two side Mansfield Town as Derby looked to book their place in Round Two for the third successive season.
There were a few changes in the side with a number of payers including Jake Rooney, Richard Stearman and Craig Forsyth being given their first starts of the campaign.
An own-goal from Stags’ Elliott Hewitt gave the Rams the lead in the first-half before Ollie Hawkins fired home from close range to level things up after the break.
Despite the home side being buoyed by the equaliser, Derby stood tall and were able to find a winner of their own through substitute Tom Barkhuizen.
The result saw the Rams rewarded with a home tie against Championship side West Bromwich Albion in Round Two.
Derby County 2-1 Barnsley – 13th August 2022
Sky Bet League One
The following weekend saw a return to League One action and the Rams get back to winning ways at Pride Park Stadium against Barnsley.
A dominant first-half performance, which had become a theme in the opening weeks of the season, saw Derby race into a 2-0 lead thanks to an own-goal from Tykes defender Conor McCarthy and a first of the campaign for Mendez-Laing.
The visitors ensured there was a nervy finish when they pulled one back in the second-half as Josh Benson’s deflected effort found a way past Wildsmith.
But Derby stood up to the challenge and made it back-to-back home wins and three wins from the opening four in all competitions.
Shrewsbury Town 0-0 Derby County – 16th August 2022
Sky Bet League One
As we entered mid-August, the Tuesday/Saturday games were already in full flow and this midweek fixture saw the Rams travel to Shropshire to take on Shrewsbury Town.
It was a battling performance but one where the Rams struggled to find any real cutting-edge in the top end of the pitch.
David McGoldrick, Tom Barkhuizen and Louie Sibley all had decent efforts over the course of the 90 minutes, whilst the hosts also had a solid spell starting the second-half.
Whilst the result was ultimately a disappointing one, it was a clean-sheet and a point away from home on the board.
Fleetwood Town 0-0 Derby County – 20th August 2022
Sky Bet League One
The following Saturday provided a trip to Fleetwood Town and the match was almost a mirror of the performance we had witnessed the previous Tuesday against Shrewsbury.
Derby controlled possession and for large portions of the game were the much better side, but once again they lacked any real cutting-edge.
Two games without a win was of course frustrating but it was also two points on the road and two clean-sheets in succession.
It was a real case, at this point, of knowing that if the goals come - this team could go on a real impressive run.
Derby County 1-0 West Brom – 23rd August 2022
Carabao Cup - Round Two
West Bromwich Albion at home in Round Two of the Carabao Cup was the first of four home games in the space of 10 days for the Rams.
Despite the Championship side making a whole host of changes, so did the Rams and from minute one it was Derby that dominated.
Louie Sibley scored the winner with a sublime curled effort and it was the least the Rams deserved for a largely controlled performance against a side from the division above.
The reward for progressing? A trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool in Round Three later in the year.
Derby County 2-1 Peterborough United - 27th August 2022
Sky Bet League One
Sandwiched inbetween two cup competitions was arguably Derby's toughest test to date with Peterborough United visiting Derbyshire for some League One action.
The Rams struggled to break the Posh defence down but when Nathan Thompson was dismissed for the visitors for two bookable offences in the second-half, it looked like it was going to be a matter of when rather than if.
However, it was Peterborough that took a shock lead through substitute Josh Knight.
With 20 minutes to go the Rams had it all to do and it took them right up until the 88th minute for a breakthrough - Jason Knight heading home from Hourihane's corner.
And in the last minute of stoppage time, David McGoldrick was in the right place to turn home a Lewis Dobbin cross and send Pride Park Stadium into raptures.
Derby County 3-1 Grimsby Town – 30th August 2022
Papa Johns Trophy - Northern Section Group F
Cup action resumed just three days later at Pride Park Stadium.
This time was the turn of the EFL Trophy or the Papa Johns Trophy, if you prefer, with League Two side Grimsby Town the first up in a group that was made up of the Mariners, Mansfield Town and Manchester City Under-21s.
It was a strong Derby side on show for the match, with one major change coming in the form of Scott Loach who made his debut in goal following his summer move from Chesterfield.
The Rams made light work of their opposition and raced into a three-goal lead before half-time through goals from Mendez-Laing, Sibley and Max Bird.
Brendan Kiernan pulled one back late on for the Mariners late on, but it proved to be just a consolation and Derby took the points.
Derby County 2-3 Plymouth Argyle - 3rd September 2022
Sky Bet League One
The beginning of September brought with it a return to League One football and the toughest test to date.
Promotion rivals Plymouth Argyle were the visitors and they were always going to be a threat to the Rams’ early season unbeaten run.
However, after James Collins bagged his first goal for the club and Mendez-Laing added a second before half-time, Derby were in dreamland.
Whilst the performance itself wasn’t to the highest standard seen so far in the campaign, nobody could have predicted what was to come.
Former Ram Morgan Whittaker pulled one back for the visitors on the hour before substitute Sam Cosgrove netted an equaliser with just over 10 minutes to go.
And it was Cosgrove again who popped up in stoppage time to score a dramatic winner and inflict a first defeat on home turf during the season on Derby.
Lincoln City 2-0 Derby County – 13th September 2022
Sky Bet League One
There was no quick turnaround to put things right with the next game not coming for 10 days following the loss at Pride Park Stadium.
The trip to Morecambe was postponed following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, meaning the Rams’ 5,000th game would now take place away at the LNER Stadium.
But it wasn’t a night for celebration as Derby fell to back-to-back defeats for the first time in the season.
Jack Diamond opened the scoring from the penalty spot for the hosts and despite dominating possession for the majority and having two goals disallowed through Collins and Mendez-Laing – Derby couldn’t find a way back into the game and were punished when Ben Houses added a second late on.
Derby County 2-1 Wycombe Wanderers – 17th September 2022
Sky Bet League One
Last time out we saw a return to winning ways at Pride Park Stadium with the character among the team taking centre stage.
Wycombe took an early lead through Anis Mehmeti and after two successive defeats, the side could have easily crumbled.
But after a shaky start, the Rams took control of the game - bossing possession and dominating with chances created.
Hourihane bagged a superb equaliser midway through the second-half to level things up before that man again stepped up to calmly smash home the winner after the ball had fell kindly to him in the box.
The result took the Rams back up to seventh in the league and back on the right track ahead of an incredibly busy October schedule - and Paul Warne was appointed as the club's new Head Coach just a few days later.