Norwich vs Derby match report: Rams thank John Ruddy fumble for a point saved

Norwich City 1 Derby County 1

John Ruddy (GETTY IMAGES)

With many of the Championship’s other tightly packed promotion contenders enjoying home advantage against lower-placed opposition, it was always going to be a bad day for either of these to lose.

They avoided doing so, although it meant conceding ground, and Derby were happier about that than Norwich, who felt their domination of the first half and the final 20 minutes merited victory.

The upshot is that Norfolk’s finest stay fifth while their visitors drop from second to fourth. Derby, beaten in the play-off final last season, have hit choppy water and a series of injuries just at the wrong time as they encounter a number of the other top sides. Missing three midfielders and forced to give a debut to 19-year-old Jamie Hanson, they also need the return of leading scorer Chris Martin and loanee Darren Bent, who may or may not be ready for tough games with Middlesbrough on Tuesday and Wolves on Friday.

Weak in attack here, Steve McClaren’s side had to rely on an embarrassing own-goal by former England goalkeeper John Ruddy for an undeserved equaliser. They have not now won for four games, and this could easily have been a third defeat in that time.

Norwich were much brighter from the start, and after a one-sided half an hour they took the lead with a fine five-man move. The first three of them, Alex Tettey, Bradley Johnson and Wes Hoolahan combined to release Martin Olsson down the left for a low cross begging to be tapped in by Cameron Jerome, who obliged for his 18th goal of the season.

In Derby’s only threatening spell, soon after the hour, Ruddy got away with spilling Tom Ince’s 25-yard shot but then, under pressure from Jeff Hendrick – perhaps illegally – he fumbled Hanson’s corner into the net. Norwich came again and in the last quarter of an hour alone, Lee Grant in the Derby goal pulled off two excellent saves and Jerome twice missed badly.

McClaren sounded like a man trying to keep his team’s spirits up when he said: “Today we didn’t have the football but we had the character and the spirit. It’s about time we had a bit of luck.”

Norwich: (4-2-3-1) Ruddy; Whittaker, Martin, Bassong, Olsson; Tettey, Dorrans (Hooper, 79); Howson, Hoolahan, Johnson; Jerome.

Derby: (4-3-3) Grant; Shotton (Christie, 70), Keogh, Albentosa, Forsyth; Hughes (Bryson, 76), Hanson, Hendrick; Ince, Russell, Ward (Warnock, 82).

Referee: Lee Probert.

Man of the match: Hoolahan (Norwich)

Match rating: 6/10