Paul Warne: Derby’s first away win of the season no big deal

Posted Thursday, November 07, 2024 by PA

Paul Warne said Derby’s first Championship away win of the season was not a big deal after they broke their duck with a 2-1 victory at Coventry.

Jerry Yates opened the scoring in the first half before his cross was diverted into his own net by Bobby Thomas.

Tatsuhiro Sakamoto halved the deficit with just over 10 minutes to go but Derby earned their first victory away from Pride Park at the eighth attempt.

Warne said: “We’re really pleased to win, Coventry are a really good side, I have the upmost respect for Mark Robins so it doesn’t make it any sweeter, in fact I’d rather beat any other manager.

“I’m never bothered about the outside noise, I know it’s a big deal to some people but it isn’t to me, it’s just about accumulating as many points as you can and if they’re all at home, they’re all at home.

“I’d like to win away because people travel, but I don’t want to win away from home because the pressures outside the football club demand it.

“I thought prior to them scoring I felt reasonably comfortable, it might not have looked it because we were shouting at the lads all the time, I thought we defended crosses well and that’s one of their super strengths, when needed the keeper helped us out and we defended all the set-pieces really well.

“Neutralising them I thought we were quite good at and then when they scored in the 75th minute, well that’s how football should be. I sickly enjoy the anarchy of it because I think football’s getting a bit sterile.

“I thought we counter-attacked pretty well, we had good pockets, in the last five minutes you can kick it in the car park, I’m not bothered about that, in parts in the first half we just needed that little pass or something.”

Coventry manager Mark Robins cut a frustrated figure as his Sky Blues were unable to capitalise on back-to-back wins against Luton and Middlesbrough.

Robins said: “What’s frustrating for me and everyone watching, I suppose, is that one minute we are at a really high level and then a few days later we are miles off it. The first half we were miles off it. We gave them a leg up.

“We should have won the game tonight. We have got really, really talented players and they didn’t perform to their expected level.

“If they play to their expected level against a side that work as hard as Derby, that work their socks off to try to stop us playing, deny us space, and they have got a little bit of quality as well and when they do that they are a threat and a decent team.

“They put us under pressure and we played the ball backwards and invited it on. The back-pass from Jack (Rudoni) was uncharacteristic but they ended up scoring and taking the lead.

“The intensity just wasn’t there. You have to move the ball quickly and try to shift them really quickly. We tried to play the same way as we did against Middlesbrough but it’s a different game.

“I take responsibility for it, I take responsibility for all the results. Tonight wasn’t good enough.”