Forgotten Brentford one-timer has shocker for Derby County in 3-2 win

Photo: Alessandro Schiavone

Report by Alessandro Schiavone at Derby Park

Derby County 3-2 Burton Albion

Goals: Barkhuizen, Collins, Hourihane (DC), Seddon, Hugill(BA)

Former Brentford player Callum Elder did not cover himself in glory on Monday night but despite this Derby County still managed to secure a last-gasp victory thanks to former Aston Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane’s 93rd minute winner. 

The Australian left-back, who spent half-a-season at Griffin Park before a serious knee injury blighted his Bees career in 2016, almost dented the Rams’ chances of returning to the top-three when he failed to deal with a long ball near the centre circle. The ball could easily have been controlled or cleared but he let it bounce, allowing lurking Man United loanee Joe Hugill to speed goalwards before picking his spot to make it 2-2 on 65 minutes.

That was his maiden goal for the club on his debut with his first kick. And the former Bee was largely responsible for it with some atrocious Sunday League-esque defending. It clearly wasn't his night and early in the game his misplaced square pass was intercepted by Burton Albion’s Lubala who is no Erling Haaland, and fired his shot straight at a Derby defender. Elder, shaky and sailing close to the wind on a number of occasions despite some decent overlaps on the left, could have scored a rebound after Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s initial shot was saved by Max, but his strike was low enough for the keeper to save with his trailing leg. On 72 minutes, Derby manager Paul Warne decided that he had overstayed his welcome on the Pride Park turf on the back of a number of errors and hooked him. And Elder, visibly shaken at the time of the substitution, owes Hourihane a pint after the latter won it late on with a sumptuous strike. Derby are third in the table, one point behind Portsmouth but with a game in hand and an upcoming trip to The Valley against Charlton coming up in little over two weeks. Yet he has to be a lot better than that if the Rams are to play in the Championship again next season.