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Derby take advantage of Tomasz Kuszczak's misfortune to lead Brighton Derby take advantage of Tomasz Kuszczak's misfortune to lead Brighton
(about 1 hour later)
Steve McClaren will preach focus, with this job far from complete and the Premier League still a few agonising twists and turns away, but his efficiently impressive Derby County boast the ascendancy in this tie. Brighton and Hove Albion were overcome for the third time this season here, their frenzied late pressure failing to yield an equaliser. McClaren, deep down, will sense a return to Wembley stadium is close. Steve McClaren is already preaching focus, with this job far from complete and the Premier League still a few agonising twists and turns away yet, but his efficiently impressive Derby County boast the ascendancy in this tie. Brighton and Hove Albion were overcome for the third time this season here, their frenzied second-half rally failing to yield an equaliser. McClaren, deep down, will sense a return to Wembley is close.
The former England manager has not overseen a team there since he sheltered from a rainstorm while his tenure of the national side unravelled agains Croatia back in 2007. To secure elevation would go some way towards redeeming his reputation in this country, and this was an impressive victory to serve notice of this team's intent. Albion will remain awkward opposition in Sunday's return but, if they maintain their Indian sign, County will progress. The former England manager has not overseen a team there since he unfurled an umbrella and sheltered from a rainstorm while his tenure of the national side drowned in a soggy mess before his eyes against Croatia back in 2007. His impact at Derby this term, with this a 23rd win in 37 games since taking the helm in the autumn, would suggest his reputation in this country is edging towards redemption. To secure elevation at the national stadium may provide personal resolution. "But this tie is not over," came McClaren's warning. Football has scarred him too much already to take progress for granted.
This was a collision of the play-off contenders' form sides, Derby's late charge having secured the club's highest points tally, 85, for a season. They had still trailed in well adrift of the top two, a reflection of the consistent excellence offered by Leicester and Burnley, and events on the final Saturday of the season proper had suggested momentum actually lay with those on the south coast. Brighton had secured their second successive play-off appearance only courtesy of a stoppage-time winner at Nottingham Forest. Theirs had been giddy celebration at the City Ground, with the mood of optimism sweeping into this occasion. There is good reason for caution. Brighton will pose a considerable threat in Sunday's return, even if they must make history by overcoming a deficit suffered in the home leg. They cursed Roger East's refusal to award a penalty for Jake Buxton's tug on Leonardo Ulloa, or for Craig Forsyth's clumsy tangle with Iñigo Calderón, and for the excellence of Lee Grant in the visitors' goal. His saves to deny Jesse Lingard, Stephen Ward and, in particular, Ulloa on the volley ensured the narrow lead remained intact.
There was a zest to their early attacking, Óscar García's team monopolising possession and marauding with menace down the flanks. Iñigo Calderón might already have earned a penalty when Brighton took a swift free-kick while Derby dawdled, Will Buckley back-heeling the right-back to the by-line, with his centre perfect for Jesse Lingard. Derby creaked at times, the final whistle provoking a sigh of disbelief from the home manager as he struggled to comprehend cruel defeat. "It was a totally unfair result," said Oscar García. "We were better than them in all areas apart from goal, and that's the most important area. It's difficult in the play-offs to see a game where one team is much better than the other one, but at the end of the day, they won. We have to believe, we need to believe."
The Manchester United forward had peeled away from the clutter to make his own space and, with his first effort blocked by Jake Buxton, he thumped the rebound across Lee Grant and in off the goalkeeper's glove. It was the England under-21 international's fourth goal of his second loan spell of this season. They must recapture some of the zest of the opening 20 minutes here if they are to defy history, recalling the period where they monopolised possession most effectively while marauding with menace down the flanks. A swift free-kick while Derby dawdled earned the lead, Will Buckley back-heeling Calderón to the byline, from where the centre was perfect for Lingard. The Manchester United forward had peeled away from the clutter to make his own space and, after his first effort was blocked by Buxton, he thumped the rebound across Grant and in off the goalkeeper's glove.
The lead was merited but it served to shrug the visitors, becalmed up to then, out of their dozing. County boast their own pace on the counter-attack, the aggressive Johnny Russell muscling his way beyond home players before feeding Craig Forsyth, charging from deep. The left-back exchanged passes with Jeff Hendrick in the penalty area before Matthew Upson, Brighton's player of the year, lunged in to send him sprawling. Chris Martin's penalty was his third reward in this stadium this season having scored both of the visitors' goals in their 2-1 win in August. Yet, while the lead was merited, that was as good as it got. The concession served to shrug the visitors, so becalmed up to then, out of their daze and County counterpunched ruthlessly. The aggressive Johnny Russell muscled his way upfield beyond home players before feeding Forsyth, charging from deep. The left-back exchanged passes with Jeff Hendrick in the penalty area, with Matthew Upson, Brighton's player of the year, lunging in to send him sprawling. Chris Martin's penalty was his third goal in this stadium this term, and his fifth in eight appearances for three clubs against these opponents.
That tally might have swollen further before the interval, though the striker had no reason for frustration. Another slick exchange between visiting players, all fizzed passes and clever running to cut through Albion's defence, led Russell to lay off for Martin to belt goalwards. His attempt cannoned down from the crossbar to strike an airborne Tomasz Kuszczak, the ball bouncing in off the goalkeeper's back to deflate the locals' enthusiasm. He had not finished there. In stoppage time at the end of the first half Russell laid the ball off to the 24-goal forward just outside the area, with his effort belted against the crossbar, the ball cannoning down to strike an airborne Tomasz Kuszczak and bounce in off the goalkeeper's back. Thereafter the visitors clung on. "You saw every side of Derby County this evening," said McClaren. "We showed great character to recover from going behind but we ended up indebted to our goalkeeper for retaining the result. We can play better and we'll need to on Sunday. Brighton are a good side away from home."
There was a strut to Derby's play thereafter that suggested they recalled finishing 13 points better off than their hosts this term, though Brighton's desperation to avoid similar disappointment to that endured against Crystal Palace at this stage a year ago ensured the contest remained tense. Grant had to react superbly to leap and tip Leonardo Ulloa's volley from Andrea Orlandi's centre on to the crossbar. His saves to deny Lingard and Stephen Ward late on were just as impressive as the home support bellowed for parity. As it is, they will travel north with a deficit to retrieve.