Derby 5-0 Wolves
Since my first season ticket in 1995 there have only been a handful of times when I have been embarrassed at a game.
Losing 5-1 on the return to the top flight in the first Premier League season was a wake up call to everyone that that season wouldn’t be an easy ride, to then get thrashed in the next few games as well just hammered home that point.
The 6-0 home defeat to Southampton a few years later doesn’t count as it was a freak game where every shot they had went in, despite Wolves being the better side.
What is more comparable to this shambles is the 5-0 away defeat to Fulham in the dark days of Terry Connors Premier League stint.
At Derby though, this was a team who supposed to be close in terms of ability and ambitions to what Wolves themselves are trying to achieve this season.
Nothing could have been further from the truth as the afternoon was a complete shambles from start to finish.
Sako and Rowe both had chances which would normally trouble the keeper but both were blazed over.
Derby were brilliant and ruthless though and looked like scoring every time they went forward. The first from Shotton set the tone for things to come. Ikeme got a hand to it but wasn’t strong enough to claw it out of the net and when Hendrick scored from just outside the box after 28 minutes it was effectively game over. Russell having time to control the ball, take a touch and pick his spot for the Derby 3rd goal summed up the utterly pathetic performance the team had put in.
At the start of the second half it seemed like very much a case of damage limitation as Wolves hadn’t really got out their own half for 90% of the first period.
But when Hendrick got his second just 10 minutes after the restart it seemed that a humiliation was just around the corner and with the score at 5-0 with half an hour left to play it seemed just that.
In truth Derby could have had as many as they had wanted to score but instead contained things and kept the ball well.
There is no way to even give any ratings of any kind as none of them really deserved anything.
Ricketts and Sako at least came over to the travelling fans showing signs of apologising but that’s about it.
It was the fans who made the day, turning what was a farcical situation on the pitch into a carnival of gallows humour in the stands. It was this that has gained countrywide praise from fans all over the country who watched the game on TV.
Every cloud…….
S.K.Hall
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