Paul Warne hails ‘brave’ Lewis Dobbin after maiden goal earns win over Cambridge

Posted Saturday, December 31, 2022 by PA

Derby boss Paul Warne praised Lewis Dobbin for grabbing his first ever league goal to wrap up a 1-0 home win over Cambridge after the on-loan Everton teenager had failed to take two earlier chances.

Dobbin settled matters on 57 minutes and the manner of his match-winning contribution also surprised Warne, as he headed in a Nathaniel Mendez-Laing cross.

The goal extended the Rams’ unbeaten league run to a 10th game and Warne enthused: “I’m really pleased for Dobbs.

“All the players make mistakes and I’ve got no issue with that, but it’s all about being brave enough to keep doing things and that’s what Dobbs did. He did some things outstanding, some things good and some things poor, which was the same with all the players.

“But it was a good header. I’m being nice if I say headers are not among the best of his attributes but for him to score his first league goal like that and for it to be the winner is a great feeling for the kid.”

Derby dominated for long periods of the Pride Park contest but Warne admitted he grew concerned the more the game wore on as his team failed to kill off the contest.

“It was so close to being an outstanding performance but we were also so close to not winning,” he reasoned. “It can be a fine line between the two and, until you get a second goal, you can’t really breathe easily.”

Visiting boss Mark Bonner, meanwhile, hailed an “unbelievable shift” from his depleted team in defeat as they pushed the hosts all the way despite a virus that has swept through the club meaning he could only name five substitutes.

“It was such an unbelievable shift from our lads,” he declared. “It’s tough for us at the moment with the lack of bodies and we picked up another injury as well to Ben (Worman) but the effort levels, in the face of all that, were unreal and different class.

“We almost started (striker) Harvey Knibbs at right-back but George Williams got out of bed today and played the game, which is unbelievable. We lost the game in a moment and we had a few moments ourselves.

“They had a few chances as well but we were massively in the game right to the end and I’m really proud of the performance. We had 1,200 fans here and they sang the team off at the end because they were proud of their team as well.

“It was such a tight game and, in certain moments, we could have done a bit better and come out with something, but I ask the lads to give me everything when they go out on a football pitch and that’s what they did.”