Craig Bryson rescues a late point for Derby

Posted Thursday, October 04, 2018 by PA

Craig Bryson’s first goal of the season denied Norwich a fifth consecutive Sky Bet Championship victory as Derby snatched a 1-1 draw at Pride Park.

Norwich were leading through Timm Klose’s header but Bryson rescued Derby when he turned in Martyn Waghorn’s cross four minutes from time.

Derby had almost surprised Tim Krul in the fifth minute when a long clearance from Scott Carson found David Nugent on the right and his low shot was scrambled behind by the goalkeeper.

Norwich were playing with the confidence of a team on a good run and they almost got through Derby’s defence in the 16th minute when Teemu Pukki and Todd Cantwell combined before Pukki was crowded out.

Mason Mount flashed a shot wide but Norwich’s accurate passing was causing Derby problems and after Pukki’s deflected shot looped just behind, another swift break opened the home side up in the 24th minute.

Jamal Lewis sprinted away down the left but with Pukki free in the middle, his low cross was cut out by Carson.

The only disappointment for Norwich was the failure to convert possession into goals and Derby nearly made them pay in the 38th minute when Bradley Johnson played in Mount who held off two challenges before hitting a low shot which Krul turned behind.

Norwich responded by creating an even better chance as Cantwell burst into the box but failed to beat Carson when he should have scored.

Both sides were unchanged for the second half and Jayden Bogle played Derby into trouble with a loose pass that Pukki seized on but his cut-back from the byline was easily dealt with.

Both teams were searching for a moment of quality to open up a tight game and Emi Buendia supplied it in the 64th minute when he played Pukki in but the striker delayed enough for Richard Keogh to force him wide.

But Norwich were ahead in the 69th minute after a Pukki shot was deflected behind and Buendia’s corner was met by Klose who placed a header past Carson from eight yards.

Derby had struggled to create much in the second half but in the 81st minute, Mount whipped a free-kick in from the left and Krul made a vital punch with white shirts waiting to pounce.

He made an even better save three minutes later when Bryson found space on the right and picked out Mount whose 10-yard shot was tipped over by Krul.

But Derby levelled in the 86th minute when Waghorn’s cross from the left hit Bryson on the knee and bounced past Krul to deny Norwich another three points.