Carlton Morris struck late in the second half to rescue a point from Derby’s 1-1 Championship draw against Bristol City at Pride Park.
The 29-year-old proved to be the Rams hero and registered their first point of the season following two straight defeats, while Bristol City continued their own unbeaten start but relinquished the chance to be top of the league before the rest of the weekend action.
The visitors took a while to warm into the contest but ended the half on top after Scott Twine slotted in his third goal of the season.
The Robins missed further chances to make their evening all the more comfortable through Sinclair Armstrong and Anis Mehmeti and they paid the price through Morris – who rescued an unlikely point – after it took the hosts 86 minutes to register their first shot on target.
Derby came out of the traps and wanted a penalty after they thought Callum Elder’s powerful effort came off the arm of Rob Dickie.
It took 24 minutes for the away side to make their first impression on the Derby goal after a corner fell by the way of former Derby midfielder Jason Knight, but he scuffed the ball wide of the target.
The Robins took the lead in the 35th minute with their first shot on target. Mark Sykes travelled down the right and picked out Twine, who had the space of Pride Park and he was able to turn an effort past Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and into the bottom corner.
Carlton Morris (right) celebrates scoring Derby’s late equaliser
Bristol City soon started to dominate proceedings and could have doubled their advantage, this time Twine turned creator and fed it to Mehmeti, who was denied an effort on target by Dion Sanderson who blocked behind for a corner.
Much like the first half, Derby started strong but did nothing to threaten the goal of Radek Vitek after the break.
City went in search of a second, substitute Armstrong trotted his way into the area and tested Zetterstrom, who was alert to make his first save of the contest.
The home crowd’s patience began to wear thin as they were unable to get anything to click at the top end of the pitch and it looked like Bristol City would bury the contest, with Mehmeti the next to miss the target as the deficit remained at one.
But Derby mustered an equaliser with four minutes remaining. A cross found the head of Joe Ward who tested Vitek for the first time but his save bounced kindly for Morris, who buried his third goal in three games despite the best efforts of Rob Atkinson on the line.
The visitors were denied all three points after Zetterstrom clambered across his goal to stop Twine’s goalbound free-kick from heading into the top corner at the death.
The managers
Derby’s John Eustace:
“It’s not the start we want, but it’s how you finish that matters.
“We’re building something special at the football club and that’s what we want. We have to remember we are on the back of two defeats and going a goal down, it was very difficult.
“For 70 minutes we were good against Coventry. We have played two teams who have just been in the play-offs, it’s evident we are growing and a work in [progress].
“It’s early in the season. I’m pleased with the attitude of the players. We had 12 players leave, brought 10 in. The players who played tonight were excellent.
“Tonight we showed that real fight to make sure we didn’t lose the game where possibly everyone thought we might have.”
Bristol City’s Gerhard Struber:
“We’re frustrated about the result. We controlled it most of the time.
“We have to be critical with ourselves, I think we can score the second goal but overall, a good performance but frustrated with the result.
“The boys were disappointed right now in the dressing room, but I can feel the expectation from everyone to win the game, especially after a performance like that.
“We are on a good road but today one point is not enough.”
